Chapter Sixteen
Ash and James had reached Hunter's building. James pulled up on the curb and put the handbrake on. Ash continued to look through the file and began talking to his cousin. "Now, we can't really go in there without a plan James, so I suggest we-"
Ash looked up at the sound of the car door slamming shut. It was just him and the car. Ash swore loudly this time and slammed his own door shut. He ran after James who had just entered the building. He grabbed the back of James' shirt and yanked him back. Hard.
"Ash! What the hell-"
"Shut up James or I'll kill you before you give Hunter the chance," Ash whispered in his ear softly. "Now, we're going to walk to those elevators over there nice and slow and then we're going to formulate a plan. You got me?"
James grunted as Ash jerked harder on his shirt. "I got you! Jesus Christ just let me go!" Ash complied reluctantly but walked closely at his cousin's side.
"Now I understand that with Poppy gone, all the rational reasoning that you might have had in the past is now non existent." Ash's voice was irritatingly calm. "So I'll forgive you for the time being. Meanwhile, it would be a good-"
He was interrupted when the lift belled and the doors opened. James was about to step into the lift when Ash pulled him back again.
"What the hell is it this time?" James demanded angrily.
He looked around at his cousin's face but Ash's own eyes were wide as he stared into the elevator. James followed Ash's eyes and saw a boy, tall and lean with midnight blue eyes and dark messy hair, leaning against the rail in the lift.
The boy frowned. "Ash?"
Ash didn't reply. He kept a grip of James shirt and began walking backwards slowly, his breath increasing rapidly. "This is why you have to plan things, James." He whispered urgently. "We've just walked into a fucking snake pit!"
They were backing away when Curtis ran into the foyer. "Ash! Wait! I know where she is!" his voice echoed eerily and even from a distance, Ash could see his eyes were full of urgency. His hands were held at his sides, and Ash could almost sense his sincerity. The guy looked worried and he was looking over his shoulder every five seconds.
Ash stopped to consider what to do. Before he could though, James had sprung free of his hold and was already at Curtis' side.
Ash swore again and followed angrily, pulling James back to what seemed like a safe distance from a vampire like Curtis Redfern.
"You know where Poppy is?" James was asking urgently.
Curtis frowned and cast a look at Ash. "Whose this kid?" he asked.
Ash glanced at James. "A cousin," he grimaced. "A very distant cousin." He turned his gaze back to Curtis warily. "I believe you were going to help us before," he prompted an explanation.
Curtis looked away uncertainly. "Listen, Ash," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing okay?"
"Tell us if we should be running or not then," Ash suggested through narrowed eyes.
"Not," Curtis finally replied, a faint grin settling on his handsome face. "Good to see you again by the way."
Ash allowed himself a grin in reply at his old friend. They had been close once; Hunter's prize pupils until Ash had switched teams. "Cut the crap Curtis and deal the cards already."
Curtis sighed and bit his lip. "Alright. This is the deal. We've found out about Blake, she's a Daybreaker. I assume she's the one you're looking for?" He said this with a frown and Ash got the feeling all deals were off if Blake was uninvolved.
"Yes," he replied at the same time that James yelled, "No!"
"What about the other girl you've got?" Ash addressed Curtis, kicking James' shin indiscreetly.
"The other girl?" For a moment Curtis looked slightly confused and Ash was vaguely worried that James might do something stupid and attempt to hit the other guy. "Oh, her! Yeah, she's with Blake too. But that's beside the point -"
James chose that moment to explode. "What do you mean that's beside the point?!" he yelled, advancing closer to Curtis. His eyes were wide and wild, his body moving aggressively as he got closer. Curtis stared down at him coldly and with no feeling.
"Get out of my face, little man," he said softly, "Or else I'll have to do something we'd both regret." His voice was cold and detached, so emotionless and dangerous that even Ash paused. James backed off almost immediately and Ash wondered if he had ever been like that. He decided that yeah, he had.
"Hey Curtis, ease off on him okay? The 'girl' happens to be his soulmate," Ash informed his old friend with a raised eyebrow.
Curtis' face cleared and Ash thought he had detected a minute trace of guilt and understanding. He wrote it off as wishful thinking and focused his entire attention on Curtis, who was now looking around the foyer nervously.
"Listen Ash, I'll cut you guys a deal if you promise to get Blake out of here safely. That's the condition," he took a breathe, "I think we should go. I don't feel like cutting a deal with a Daybreaker in the middle of Hunter's own building. Come on," he didn't wait for an answer. He strode down towards the main doors and out into the fresh air.
When he turned to stare back at them, Ash had a strange feeling that something had changed about Curtis. He admitted the guy still looked the same and he still had the attitude…but he seemed to have softened a bit. But only a bit.
Ash followed, allowing James to trot eagerly, if a trifle impatiently, behind him.
"Right then. I'll take you guys for a ride so we can discuss this," Curtis said curtly, obviously not expecting argument. He pushed a button on his car remote and the lights of a flash jeep parked on the curb lit up.
"Hang on!" Ash called. Curtis stopped and turned slowly on one foot to reveal a set of eyebrows raised in query. Ash approached him. "Curtis, you and I go way back right?" his voice was private. "We were close then and I would've trusted you with anything but things are different now. You have to admit that. You're Hunter's latest boot licker and-"
Ash barely realized what he had said when Curtis grabbed a fist full of his shirt, lifted him off his feet and spun him so that his back slammed into the car. "I am not a bootlicker, Daybreaker, " he snarled, baring his teeth.
Ash raised his arms. "Yeah, yeah, I know okay?" he reasoned hastily, regretting his words. "That's just my mouth belting away before my brain. You know how I am," he tried a smile but it turned into a wince as Curtis gave him a little push.
"I don't know you at all anymore, Ash," he said softly through narrowed eyes. "The past is the past and according to the present and the rules of the Night World, I should have killed you fifteen seconds ago. But I didn't, did I? You know how we take betrayal very very seriously so you should be licking my boots for not splitting you open when I had the chance."
Ash felt his old temper rising to the challenge. He could admit to himself that it was true, perhaps he had gotten a little soft since becoming a Daybreaker. That was just what it did to you. Plus he had Mary-Lynette to think about and it didn't seem worth it to go around actually looking for trouble these days.
But he still had his pride and Curtis Redfern, old friend or not, was getting up his nose.
"If you wanna have a go at me, Curtis," he spat, his eyes changing into two dark orbs, "Go ahead and take a shot. But do it where I can defend myself because we both know that on the mats I could kick your ass!"
Curtis' eyes sparked dangerously and the fist holding Ash's shirt tightened.
Then Ash got the surprise of his life when Curtis let go and laughed. "God, I've missed you!" he smiled. "Nobody takes me on quite like you do," he admitted. "Now stop being such a dickhead and get in the car." He looked over at his shoulder at James. "Bring him if you have to," he added, rolling his eyes tolerantly.
He tossed a grin at Ash and hopped in the driver's side. Ash got in beside him and James hopped in the back.
"So what's the plan?" Ash asked, looking over at Curtis.
"Be patient, Ash." Curtis replied. "I was just getting to that."
"Well, what's the deal with Blake then? I know she's a bit on the sour side, she's got a bit too much lip but I don't see why you're so urgent to get her out. With a gag on she could make quite a nice hall ornament," he smiled to himself. "Or do I detect there's more to it?"
His voice was smug and the look that Curtis threw him confirmed his suspicions. He made a mental note to congratulate Blake and to hint that having someone like Curtis on Daybreaks' side was almost as good as having himself on it.