First Blood - Book One of the Decter Documents

by Mathew N. Honnajan

Original story and characters set in Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files. Takes place between White Night and Small Favor. No prior exposure to series necessary. Follow the story of one minor spellcaster who is more than he seems as he is pulled into a conflict that pits his mind, body, and soul against foes far more powerful than himself. He's a small fish navigating a deadly pond.

16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Now!" I commanded Erica who then pressed a small button on her detonator. The hallway shook with a boom like thunder, and I heard tunnels collapse behind us. David assured me before that the cave-ins would stay localized to around the exits of the large vampire room. So obviously that's what was going to happen… right?

We started running towards the room up ahead. "You think they heard that?" I asked over the rumbling noise.

Erica pulled out a grenade as we neared the door, "I don't know, let's ask them. How many behind the door?"

It only took a second, "Two."

"Good," She then opened the door, threw in the grenade, and closed it. I heard a sharp, ringing sound as the flash grenade exploded. Erica then opened the door for me as I entered with my hand raised, gathering energy. I quickly lined up my shot with one of the two vampires who laid stunned on the ground.

"Éle," I snarled. The released short beam of ethereal energy struck the vampire one the side of the head with enough force to cause it to roll over. I immediately felt its presence dim as it flopped unconscious. The second, still blinded, attempted to stand. I gathered and shot another beam of energy, this time striking the vampire in the chest and slamming it into a nearby wall. Its head hit with full force and its presence also dimmed.

"You didn't kill them," Erica noted as she strode past me. The room itself almost bare, filled with only the computer on a plain wooden desk along with a few memos and the two chairs formerly occupied by the vampires. Erica moved past the still bodies and took out her own laptop from her backpack along with its battery and a black cord. She inserted the battery into the laptop and used the cord to connect the laptop with the computer.

"You want to, be my guest," I challenged.

Erica looked at the unconscious monsters and a flurry of emotions ran through her as she worked, but she didn't respond.

As she typed, Garrison's voice entered my ear, "Chalser and Ridger made it to the cells and are releasing the prisoners now. What's your progress?"

I held a hand to my ear and watched the door behind us, "We made it to the computer room. Erica is hacking into it now."

"Alright. The explosions will only buy a short amount of time. With their increased numbers, we likely have less than what we planned."

"Don't need to tell me," I muttered. I grew anxious as Erica persisted. I continued to act as the lookout, but I couldn't help but feel like I could help with something other than just standing around.

I sensed the emotions of the trapped vampires change. What first came as surprise and confusion transitioned into anger and hunger. They wanted, needed, blood. Not only to feed their hunger but to see, feel, and create death. The thrill of the hunt coursed through their bodies as they sought to satiate their thirst. The only thing between them and their prey were the walls around them.

"Ha-hah gotcha!" Erica laughed triumphantly, snapping my attention back to the mission. She then plugged in the flash drive and began copying information. I heard the faint roar of a muffled gunshot. David's shotgun most likely. She put her fingers to her ear, "I'm copying the information now."

"Good, the others have begun moving the prisoners, but it's going slow," Garrison informed us. "The prisoners are all unconscious."

"Should I go and help?" I asked.

"No. Not all of the vampires were trapped by the explosives. You and Numera need to stick together and watch each other's six," Garrison ordered.

I bit my bottom lip and took another step away from the computer to decrease my chances of accidentally frying it. I felt the emotions of the vampires grow more eager as they grew closer to breaking out using their supernatural strength.

After what felt like two hours later, Erica looked back, "It's done," and quickly disconnected the flash drive and her laptop, and removed the laptop's battery before placing her equipment into her bag. She then slipped it over her shoulders, "Alright," she began, "fry the computer and let's go."

Most of the time a spellcaster causes something electrical to malfunction it's accidental. However, this is not always the case. Hexing is sort of a universal spellcasting power anyone with the smallest amount of magical talent tends to pick up since it's basically using the same energy produced unintentionally to mess with the same potential targets intentionally. To be fair, there isn't much of a practical use for hexing in daily life, but that doesn't mean teenagers with magical powers can't have fun with them.

I may have walked into a few electronic stores and fried some stuff in my pursuit of arcane knowledge…you know, for educational purposes…. Don't give me that look. Besides, it's useful now.

I stepped towards the room and sent out magical energy into the computer and various parts fizzled and popped as the screen went out. With any luck, I'd damaged it beyond repair. Not that we had time to check.

We came out of the room and ran left. I slowed my pace so Erica could keep up with her bag of equipment. We planned to circle around the collapsed hallways and back to the entrance. I led the way a few steps ahead of Erica. Not long after we set off I heard a loud crash of something slamming into a wall, and I swore as the hallway filled with the echoes of angry, screaming creatures.

"What was that?" Erica asked between breaths.

"They've broken out." I answered between strides.

We turned right and continued running through another straight hallway. I sensed vampires coming closer and gathered energy as I ran. We passed another T intersection and I saw a new hole coming out of the wall adjacent to the vampire room. Apparently the vampires found it easier to punch through solid concrete than to dig out of the rubble.

I watched the backs of the first few exiting vampires heading towards Jessica and David while others ran towards us, now about twenty feet away. They probably meant to cut them off at the exit, and we just happened to be in their way. Regardless, it was the first time I saw a Red Court vampire in its true form.

Have you ever seen one of those old gothic style buildings with the big ugly gargoyles on them? Well, imagine that. Not the building, but the gargoyles. Giant, dark red gargoyles with claws extended out as it ran and its long tongue stretching outside its mouth as it screamed.

By this time my head buzzed with the energy I gathered, "Peek-a-boo!" I shouted as I shot out another lance of energy. It blasted through the halls and I saw it connect with the leading vampire, sending it sprawling back. I didn't stick around to see what happened after. I wasn't that stupid.

I stumbled a step or two at the sudden wave of exhaustion caused by the backlash. I used more energy than I meant to, but my adrenaline kicked in, and I brushed it off as we ran towards the exit.

I heard the reports of David's shotgun as well as Jessica's shouts over the howls of the vampires both distant and close. "Chalser and Ridger are at the elevator. Where the hell are you?" Garrison's voice yelled into my ear.

"Running," I answered. "Tell them to take it up and we'll be right behind them."

"What?" Erica screamed.

"No one is being left behind." Garrison growled.

"We won't be left behind," I puffed between strides. "They'll need more time anyway if they're moving injured."

"You better know what you're doing Decter," Garrison said grimly.

The bloodthirsty screams behind us grew closer as we rounded the corner. Down the hallway I could make out the closed elevator doors and the first vampires rounding the corner. With the door to the stairs fifteen feet from us and forty-five feet from the vampire, we made a desperately sprint. Erica flung the door open as the vampire leapt at us, beating its wings once to gain some extra distance.

Once inside I threw my body against the door, slamming it shut as Erica moved and fiddled with the lock. The vampire rebounded off the door with a resounding thud. I watched vampires flowing in towards us from both sides through the door's small window.

I pulled away as Erica tucked some small hooked instruments away, "Why did you tell them to leave us?" She yelled, "We can't climb faster than they can fly!"

"Just shut up and hold on!" I yelled back as I wrapped an arm around her waist. The steel door bent inward with a bang as the first vampire struck it. I used my fear and excitement to power my spell, extending my arm upward and roaring, "Lepsilë!" The thick dark vine of energy reinforced by the focus extended through the center of the staircase as it latched on to the railing above.

"Oh crap," Erica exclaimed as she realized my 'plan'. She quickly wrapped an arm around me as I shortened the vine, lifting us off the ground in the process just as the door flew off its hinges and crashed into the opposing wall. It echoed all around us with the triumphant screams as vampires began to take flight.

I felt Erica move around and produced a small tink before she screamed, "Bon appetite you bargain bin flying monkeys!" I continued to concentrate on my spell as we made our ascent towards the top of the railing. An intense blast of sound and heat chased us up. Incendiaries. Screams of pain from vampires trapped in the inferno pierced my ears and psychosenses, causing me to start losing control of the spell.

I didn't though, or at least not because of that. We came up fast enough that when we reached the railings my hand rammed into it, sending a jolt of pain through it. For a half second my reflexive swearing kicked in as we floated in midair as we lost momentum. I slapped my hand to grab the rail, and I strained to hold both our weights. I tried to lift Erica with my other arm, "Go," I grunted.

Erica used one arm to push against me, lifting her just enough to grasp the bar with her other hand. She then quickly and gracefully climbed up and over. I swung my second arm over to follow and did a slow pull up before flopping over the bar. I gasped for air even as my vision tunneled from the intense pain and hatred emanating from the survivors of the blast.

Erica helped pull me up, "Let's go Decter. That should slow them down, but we need to move. Now." I struggled to my feet and turned down my senses until everything was nothing more than a trickle in the background. We went through the next door and slammed it behind us before Erica jammed the lock.

Just then, I heard the gentle ding of the elevator as its doors opened. The masked figure I knew to be David carried a thin, unconscious man in a fireman's carry while also using his left arm and shoulder to help assist the movement of another man. Around his neck hung the shotgun, swinging around his stomach as he moved. The other masked figure I knew to be Jessica carried the body of a small, unconscious woman.

Both David and Jessica moved towards the exit as quickly as they were able. Erica and I ran after as a loud bang erupted from the elevator. Its metallic floor bent upwards on impact. "You have got to be kidding me!" I yelled. We all scurried towards the second doorway leading outside as the thundering crash signaled the vampires' arrival. David fumbled for his shotgun, using his right hand to point it awkwardly at the door and pulled the trigger.

The door handle exploded off from the force of the shot just as he came close enough to throw his shoulder into the door, knocking it open and allowing the late afternoon sun to flow into the building. David ran through. Jessica followed close behind. I was in the process of running through…

…then I heard Erica scream.

I turned around to see a vampire tackling Erica into a wall and heard the impacts as Erica struck the wall and floor in quick succession. They landed with Erica underneath the looming bloodthirsty vampire. Without waiting to see the vampire's next move, I rushed over and used my momentum to help give my foot an extra oomph when I did my best impression of a punter's kick underneath the vampire's chin.

Now, while I'm not exactly exceptional in the whole 'size' area, I learned a lot about form and precision when it came to strikes, and while vampires are especially durable, they weigh more or less the same as a normal person, so when my foot connected with the bottom of its jaw, my foot continued to lift its head up and off of Erica's body, causing it to flip onto its back in a sickening crunch.

While it tumbled, another red leathery creature sprang across its comrade's body, its purple serpent's tongue lashing out with its fangs opened for a bite. Before I could bring my foot down, my hand swung up holding my fear and excitement in its palm. "Éle!" I screamed just before the vampire's hands closed around my neck.

The full force of the spell caught the vampire in its chest, launching it back and over the body of the still recovering vampire, bowling it into others trying to come through the first doorway. A spray of blood coated the ceiling, but I knew the creature was far from dead. I grabbed Erica's arm and turned to drag her through the door just two steps away. I made it one and a half steps before something tackled me from behind. I rotated my body as I fell to see the first vampire, who would've been dead had they not been supernaturally durable, go for my throat. Just as I opened my mouth to scream, the vampire beat me to it as its red gargoyle face became engulfed in flames the moment the sunlight made contact with its skin.

The fire didn't hurt me, but I screamed anyway. Something spontaneously combusting ten inches from your face will do that to you.

I quickly pushed the vampire off and felt a wave of nausea as its slippery skin seemed to melt away from my touch. The vampire more or less let me shove it away, probably because it had something else to worry about. Like how it just fricking caught fire. Erica, already on her feet, grabbed my extended arm as she passed and drug me over the threshold while I scrambled to my own feet.

I heard the howls of bloodthirsty creatures behind us. Even though I turned down my senses, I felt their anger intensify as we ran. I risked a glance over my shoulder and saw no one following. The few vampires I could make out stopped just short of the small rectangle of sunlight, gnashing their teeth and screeching at a physically painful intensity and pitch.

Rather than tempt fate with a backhanded comment, I just ran with Erica after David and Jessica across the pavement to the large black van waiting for us. I thought the van a bit cliché before, but now I didn't care. I just wanted to get out of here.

Erica and I sprinted towards the open back doors where David and Jessica unloaded the free prisoners. They finished by the time we caught up, and David ran towards the driver's seat as Jessica entered the passenger's side. Erica and I jumped into the back and slammed the rear doors shut.

The one semi-conscious man sat with his seatbelt buckled on a horseshoe shaped bench that ran of the perimeter of the van's interior, excluding the rear doors. A small sliding window separated the rear and head compartments. I signaled Erica to help me move the unconscious bodies as the engine of the van started up. We both focused to keep our balance as David drove, and I struggled to buckle in someone when they jerked and shifted with each turn.

After struggling to do that, the struggles continued as I buckled myself in while the van lurched and leaned. Then the ride became incredibly smooth. We must've reached the main highway.

"Good work team," came Garrison's voice. "You should be proud of what you've all just accomplished. Drop off the survivors at the safe house we discussed, and I'll see you all back at the base."

I couldn't help but give a long sigh of relief. We were all alive. How about that?

A chuckle interrupted my thoughts, and I increased my psychic senses enough to register a small portion of the pure joy Erica felt. I looked across at the man sleeping, or at least resting. My senses warned me he merely pretended to sleep and in fact wondered who the heck we were, because we sure as heck weren't the White Council. Smart cookie this one.

Erica continued giggling, leaning her head against the wall of the van, "You really enjoy being chased huh?" I asked.

Erica continued into another fit of giggles, "Well it definitely has its perks."

"Is that why you joined?" I asked over the rumblings of the van.

"Why else would I join?"

"I don't know, maybe the whole 'helping save the city' and 'protect the innocent' sales pitch," I said sarcastically.

Erica shook her head. "This city, this whole fricking planet for god's sake, is just a shithole. I just try not to keep digging or add much more crap while I'm here."

"Wow, that was almost poetic."

That remarked earned me a bark of laughter, "Well, I guess there's more to life than altruism anyway."

"You're an adrenaline junkie," I stated.

I could see the smirk even through the mask, "And here you are with me, what does that make you?"

"A concerned citizen."

"Nah," Erica shook her head, "You're about as in to the whole 'saving the city' pitch as I am. You're a fellow junkie. I saw you back there. You barely gave pause when all hell turned loose, and if I didn't know better I'd say you were fueled by that adrenaline high just as much as I was."

I kept quiet for a moment before speaking. "We should stop talking. We're being listened to, and apparently running from vampires makes you chatty."

Erica kept quiet, but I still sensed her smugness. Stupid girl.

We drove for quite some time. Neither Erica nor I spoke. I could sense the growing and fading alertness of the man who fought to stay conscious while maintaining the appearance of sleeping. I didn't feel like talking, so I ignored him. Scabbed over wounds poked through the gaps in his torn cloak while grime and sweat caked the rest of his body. While I wasn't exactly rested myself, I felt confident I could handle someone fighting to stay conscious, wizard or not.

Eventually his exhaustion got the better of him, and he fell into a deep sleep. When I told Erica as much, she unbuckled her seat belt and stood up. She then took out a small black bag and placed it around his head, tying the base loosely with string.

"Whatcha doing that for?" I asked.

"Can't risk him opening his eyes and seeing us," Erica informed me before removing her goggles and lifting off the tight hood of her uniform, "Ahh," she sighed shaking out her black hair. Several sweaty strands clung to her face, "that's much better. Those uniforms get pretty stuffy." She smiled mischievously, "Well I guess it's time to change out of our uniforms." She grabbed a duffel bag on the floor of the van and set it on the seat next to me.

"Um what?"

Erica smirked at my reaction, "We can't drop our freed prisoners off at a safe house in our uniforms, that'll seem a little strange to some people," She said practically, unzipping and opening the duffel bag. "So, we need to change to fit in. Don't worry there's extra clothes in here for you." She added lightly.

She started unzipping the front of her uniform and I quickly looked towards the back of the van. I put up a hand to shield my peripheral vision, "Why are you doing this?" I asked annoyed.

"I told you," she said simply. I didn't need psychic senses to tell she enjoyed every second of this. "We need to blend in. Why?" A small piece of clothing landed near my foot, "Are you uncomfortable?"

Oh for the love of- "Yes," I told her, "as a matter of fact I am."

Erica laughed, "Caleb Decter, slayer of vampires and afraid of women?"

I resisted the urge to grind my teeth, "What can I say? I'm uncomfortable with an underage girl stripping in front of me. It sends out the wrong kind of message. I have a reputation to consider after all." Then I added offhand, "Plus girls have cooties."

I think my jab at her age worked, because I heard a tinge of anger in her voice, "Please, I think you're reading a little too much into it. If you weren't so immature it wouldn't matter."

Now I gave a bark of laughter, "Look who's talking." Before she could respond I said, "Let's not argue in front of the unconscious people. We wouldn't want to upset them." I then took my hand away and held it blindly towards her while keeping my eyes on the back door, "Now can I please have my change of clothes?"

I think I got to her, because some heavy clothing hit me in the face.

I sighed. My turn, I guess. Just try not to make it weird. Or, well, any weirder than it already was. I continued facing the back of the van as I took off my gloves, shoes, and eventually my suit. I leaned on the side of the van for support, and I soon stood in my undershirt and spandex shorts.

I heard Erica whistle behind me, and even though I still had all the important places covered and then some, I felt the tips of my ears heat up. I thought it best not to acknowledge her and continued getting dressed in grey sweatpants and a blue light jacket over my undershirt. When I turned back she stood there with a smirk in a similar outfit: grey sweatpants and grey pullover with a sports logo on the front. She also wore a baseball hat and held an additional hat and pair of sunglasses which she promptly tossed at me. I caught the hat and juggled the glasses. I scowled at her, putting the hat on and setting the glasses on my seat before folding my suit. The folding fell into the same category as my life, awkward and leaving something to be desired.

Just as I finished the van took a sharp turn before breaking. Erica and I quickly grabbed the sides to help balance ourselves and keep from toppling over. Thankfully we buckled in our passengers because they would've certainly hit and slid all over the floor, and that didn't seem very professional.

A minute later the van doors opened. David stood there in aviators, ball cap, a brown racer jacket and grey sweatpants as light flooded into the van from behind. Not missing a beat, he began issuing orders. "Alright Caleb," he told me, pointing at our other passengers, "help me move these people. Erica," he said, gaining the girl's attention, "Get inside, you know what you need to do. Take Jessica with you." She nodded and stepped past me on her way out.

I began unbuckling the older man and glanced over the guy with a bag over his head. I sighed and removed it, before getting back to the old man. I guessed late sixties based on his worn face and the few wisps of white hair left on his bald head. A part of me felt impressed he could take and survive the obvious punishment he experienced. Bruises and cuts covered his body. Swollen bags darkened the areas around his eyes. Dried blood stuck to his lip and chin, and when I grabbed his arm, I noticed his fingernails were gone. I shivered before attempting to lift him. I lacked upper body strength, and lower body strength, and my middle wasn't so good either, so I sort of hobbled as I handed him over to David as gently as I could.

He took him into his arms as if he weighed no more than a small child, "Stay in the van until Jessica and I get back. It shouldn't take long," he ordered softly. Then he turned and walked swiftly away.

I sensed the man previously blindfolded stir, and I quickly grabbed my sunglasses and slapped them across my face, rethinking my decision to remove the bag from around this guy's head. He didn't open his eyes, but I sensed his alertness returning coupled with suspicion. If not for my psychosenses, I don't think I would've noticed him quietly amassing the little energy he had left into a spell.

"That really isn't necessary," I told him, trying my best to appear relaxed when in reality I prepared myself for another encounter. My body ached, but my muscles still felt tense from the excitement of the last few hours.

Surprised, the man opened his eyelids to reveal piercing emerald eyes that contrasted greatly with his disheveled short brown hair and five o'clock shadow. He probably looked older than he was, given his condition, but even so I would've guessed around mid-thirties. "Where am I?" He asked evenly, staring at me through the lenses of my glasses.

"A safe house," I answered.

"Why?" He asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

I sighed, "Do you remember being pulled out of that Red Court base?" I asked in response, "Cause that's why. You need to rest up before you get back to whatever it is you wizards do."

The wizard just glared at me, "And what if I don't want to stay?" he asked defiantly. He conducted himself as someone in a position of power and not as someone who received a beating. I wondered if all wizards had a superiority complex.

I pointed towards the outside, "There's the door. Go nuts."

He shifted and momentarily caught by his seatbelt. He scowled before unbuckling it and attempting to stand. I sensed a little of his pain and gave a small inward wince when he screamed and landed back in his seat. He swore and gritted his teeth, his legs uncooperative.

I waited lazily for a couple seconds before asking, "How long were you there?" I asked.

The man leaned his head back and took a few calming breaths before saying, "I don't know, maybe a week?"

"And the others?"

He shook his head, "I don't know, but they were both there when I was thrown in."

"Why were you there?"

My question caused him to raise his head, suspicion momentarily replacing pain, "Why would you want to know?" He asked.

I sighed again, "Just trying to make small talk."

Unconvinced, he asked, "Why should I trust you?"

I spluttered in disbelief, "Oh good grief, maybe because we just saved your freaking life!"

"Did you?" he questioned, "Or are we just at another base, and you're just fishing for information for the other vampires?"

I waved my hand dismissively, "Whatever, go back to pretending to sleep if you don't trust me."

My introverted self kicked in, and I decided I didn't care much for this conversation, so we just sat for a bit.

You need friends.

Not really. Contacts maybe, but from the White Court? It occurred to me this man likely held useful information, but if he was a member of the White Council, trying to gaze into his mind would be incredibly unwise. That meant I had to resort to the one thing introverts like me despise, talking.

I struggled to think of a way to break the ice or otherwise convince this guy I wasn't a vampire. I gave up, "Look, I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot," I began as sincerely as I could, "What's your name?"

He looked at me awhile as if wondering what sort of trick I was playing, "Dustin," He answered finally.

I stood up and extended my hand, "Nice to meet you Dustin, even considering the circumstances." I didn't offer my name. I couldn't risk giving that information away to a member of the White Council

He then looked at my hand with the same suspicion. After considering, he took it carefully. A jolt of energy ran through my hand on contact. Dustin instinctively pulled away, "You're a spellcaster," he noted, surprised.

"Yep." I confirmed. "Look, if you're worried about giving the enemy information, fine. Just tell me information you believe the enemy already knows." I continued reassuringly, "My coworkers and I are just trying to help."

Dustin scoffed, "Coworkers?"

I hesitated, "Well, yeah." I elected to not inform him I only met them this afternoon.

A few minutes went by before he spoke, "My team was tasked with taking down Degrada, a vampire commander in charge of covert operations." His eyes lost focus as recalled a memory, "We were ambushed while following a lead. My team was slaughtered in front of me. I was taken," his words turned bitter, "so I could be tortured for information."

"Information on what?"

He regarded me carefully before continuing, "Degrada is looking to secure a weapon developed by mortal men to use against my people. If he is able to commandeer and use such a weapon, it is believed there will be a large number of casualties of both wizards and mortals."

"What sort of weapon?"

He looked at me intently, "A bomb of some sort."

That didn't make any sense, "The Red Court already uses bombs," I told him, "What makes this one any different?"

Dustin shook his head in frustration, "Because it's a special bomb."

We both heard footsteps and turned to see Jessica peek in. She wore a similar ball cap and sunglasses as myself, a green knitted pullover sweater, and, you guessed it, grey sweatpants. "Hey there," she called, "sorry it took so long." David appeared and jumped into the back before stooping down to help assist Dustin.

Dustin at first recoiled indignantly, but then rethought his predicament before rather begrudgingly accepting David's help. Once they left, I picked up the still remaining small woman, no more than a hundred pounds, and made my way out of the van. Jessica peeked over my shoulder as I got out, "Caleb," she asked, "is that your suit folded horribly over there?"

"Yeah, probably," I grunted without looking back. "It's been a while since I wore footie pajamas, so I'm a bit out of practice."

"Which leads me to my next question. Why is your suit folded back there?" Jessica asked, following me as I carried the unconscious woman towards the designated safehouse located in a nearby apartment building.

"I had to change, just like you," I told her, my mind focused less on the conversation and more on stepping over the threshold of the building without knocking the poor lady's skull on the doorsill.

She continued despite my lack of interest, "I didn't change Caleb. The clothes they gave us were meant to be pulled over our suits." I stopped for a second and blinked. Jessica nearly ran into my back, "Oof! Keep going you hazardous hippo!" she scolded. I continued up the stairs towards the designated apartment while Jessica followed close behind, "Honestly, I don't see why you would-"

Fate decided for that moment to have Erica pass us on the way down. She gave me a wink and clicked her tongue as she passed before leaving with a smirk. I continued as if nothing happened, but then Jessica stopped and blinked. "Oh my god," she said to herself. I would've ran, but I carried an unconscious older lady, and I didn't think it would've slowed Jessica down if I threw her as a distraction. When Jessica recovered, she quickly climbed the stairs after me. "Caleb, did you two undress in front of each other?"

I didn't like how she phrased that. "We needed to blend in," I said defensively before regretting my choice of words.

"You needed to blend in," Jessica repeated.

"Well yeah," I said lamely.

She kept silent for a flight of stairs. "Did you see anything… interesting?" she asked curiously.

I spluttered, "Jessica what kind of person do you think I am?"

"I'm not hearing a no."

"No Jessica! Geeze!" I then added offhand, "We're professionals, aren't we?"

We both stepped to the side to allow a middle-aged resident pass us on her way down. I tried not to notice the scowl she gave me. The sunglasses and ballcap probably didn't help make my case of innocence.

Jessica grumbled to herself the rest of the way up which, thankfully for my arms, wasn't much farther. As I trudged up the last few steps, I couldn't help but remember that smug look Erica gave me in passing.

Freaking girls.