Blood roared in my ears, drowning out the sound of my boots on the hardwood floor. My harsh breathing burned my lungs, and I bit back a moan of fear. The house, usually warm and welcoming, felt like a death trap, and I wanted nothing more than to escape. Somewhere behind me, that dark creature, that blood-stained monster waited, watching, listening for me to make a mistake. I could feel his evil presence crawling on my skin like insects. I had to flee, had to hide.

Doors flew past as I ran through the mansion's labyrinthine halls, the shadow covered walls closing in around me. A moonlit window offered false hope; I knew it was nailed shut. Breaking the glass would only alert the demon to my location. With a last hungry glance at the thin, colored glass, I turned a corner, skidding on the loose runner covering this area of the floor. Clouds of dust enveloped me and I hit the wall hard, jarring my shoulder. A bolt of pain shot through my side where two thick scars marred my pale skin, and I fell to my knees in momentary agony. Fighting through the pain, I struggled to my feet and stumbled through the nearest door. Momentarily blind in the pitch black room, I pressed my back against the door and waited for my eyes to adjust, willing my breathing to slow.

Slowly I made out the vague shape of a large bed, thin poles reaching to the high ceiling. Darting across the room, I shoved aside the heavy tapestries and rolled under the bed. Thick dust tickled my nose, and I held my breath, waiting, listening for the footsteps that would signal my bloody, agonizing end...

oooOOOooo

The tall, dark-skinned gentleman and the petite, pale young woman listened to the heavy thuds coming from the floor above them, and calmly sipped their tea.

"I do believe that last one was your young man rolling under a bed," Eliezer Gregoire said, reaching for a pastry.

"I really wish he'd get over his irrational fear of you," Shilo Wallace replied with an irritated shrug. Eliezer chuckled.

"Perhaps not so irrational for one such as he," he pointed out. His voice was deep and rich and sent warm vibrations up her spine. "I and my colleagues are GeneCo's creatures, after all, and though we may be repomen, we do as Amber Sweet commands. If a procurer of Zydrate were to go missing, well, it would not be the first time. Your Graverobber is fortunate to have the lady's favor, fickle though it may be."

"Is Amber cracking down on dealers again?" Shilo asked sharply. It was Eliezer's turn to shrug, a delicate lifting of his thin shoulder.

"There are a few who have been attempting to rise above their station," he said. "Amber does not mind an enterprising soul here and there, so long as they are discreet. Some, though, have adulterated the drug in an attempt to strengthen it, or add other effects. All they have managed to do is kill their clients, and such poison related to Zydrate reflects badly upon GeneCo. Thus, Ms. Sweet sends us out to make examples of the fools." He took another sip of his tea. "They are no great loss to society."

Absent the white face paint and cane, the man sitting across the kitchen table from Shilo looked like nothing more than well dressed gentleman, sophisticated in speech and manner. Very few knew him as the Baron, head of GeneCo's repomen. The Baron had saved Shilo and Graverobber sixteen months previously from a renegade repoman out for Shilo's head, among other body parts. Since then, she had struck up a deep friendship with the hired killers.

"I suppose not," she said, then sighed at the heavy sneezing coming from above. "I did mean to vacuum that room last week."

She began to pour herself another cup of tea when her wrist communicator activated.

"Shilo, it's Amber." The light, purring voice, a kitten with a mouth full of poisonous cream, had an unexpected edge to it, and Shilo frowned.

"I'm here," she replied. "Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not."

"Alright then. What's up?"

"That deadbeat drug dealer of yours isn't answering his comm bracelet. Tell him to meet me at GeneCo in an hour. No excuses, or I'll send my girls to fetch him. I know how much he loves my girls."

The comm bracelet shut off with a soft hiss, and Shilo blinked.

"Well, that was unusual," she said. "Usually she just shows up here to get her fix."

"This may not have anything to do with her habit," Eliezer said, setting his teacup down gently. "There have been rumors lately. Rumors that GeneCo has been working on something new, something very secret. Not even I have been able to ascertain what it is Ms. Sweet is doing deep underground. Has she said nothing to you?"

"No," Shilo replied, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "This is the first I've heard of anything."

"Be you cautious, child," Eliezer warned. "Never forget just how dangerous Ms. Sweet truly is. Take care that whatever she is involved in does not prey upon you. I fear not even your protector, such as he is, could keep you from harm." He drained his cup and stood. "I shall come again next week. Tell your, er, gentleman that I am sorry to have missed him. I'm sure I shall catch up to him soon."

He gave Shilo a quick kiss on her cheek. "By-the-by," he added. "Norris is in ecstasy over the modifications you made to his bangstick. The second barrel with the anesthetic/paralytic darts was a clever, merciful idea. In our line of work, it is easy to forget mercy."

oooOOOooo

A few minutes after the Baron took his leave, I crept down the stairs.

"I wish you'd get over your fear of Eliezer and the other guys," the kid said crossly. "They're almost family now."

"Yeah, family that'll gut you without thinking twice if the price is right," I muttered, brushing dust balls from my shirt. Shilo tossed my battered leather coat at me.

"Amber wants you at GeneCo," she said, ignoring my comment. "Whatever she wants, she's impatient about it. Get going before her bodyguards show up here. Again."

I twitched at the mention of Amber's henchbroads. My meetings with them never seem to end well for me, for some reason. Unbelievably, there are some women who are immune to my charm.

I tucked a little glass vial of Zydrate into a hidden coat pocket, and pulled Shilo to me. She wrapped her arms around me and kissed me deeply before pushing me toward the door.

"Wish me luck, kid," I said, and slipped into the underground tunnel.

"Try not to piss her off this time!" Shilo called after me.

Yeah, like that was at all likely.