It was seven o'clock in the morning by the time Dennis arrived back at the cabin.
Before he could even reach the front porch, Casey had thrown the door wide open so that he could see for himself that she had made it through the night safely. She ran out to greet him, relieved to see him in one piece. "Are you hurt? Did you get what you needed? What happened?" She bombarded him with questions that he could barely keep track of in his exhausted state.
The smell of warm cinnamon oatmeal wafted out the doorway past her, and his eyes lit up appreciatively. "Casey," he groaned, reaching out to steady himself against her. "I'm fine, I'm ok. I just need to…I need sleep. Hungry. Then we'll talk."
Happy to be able to do something, anything, Casey waved him inside to the kitchen and pulled out a chair, which he practically collapsed into. Running to the kitchen counter she grabbed the oatmeal and began spooning a liberal amount into a bowl. "There's not a ton of food here, but they did leave a bunch of non-perishables," she explained. "I wasn't sure if you'd eaten or not, but better safe than sorry. "
"Thank you, that was thoughtful." Despite his stomach screaming at him, Dennis began to eat carefully, making sure not to spill even a drop on the pristine marble table.
"Would you like me to make some coffee or tea?"
He shook his head. "No thank you. All we need is to rest; it's been a long night."
Ignoring him, Casey pulled out a pitcher of ice water from the fridge and poured him a glass. "You gotta drink something."
He downed the glass within seconds, and Casey poured him another one. "Are you sure you're not thirsty?" she smirked, but he was too tired to respond with anything other than a grunt. It was obvious he was just barely keeping himself conscious, but Casey was deathly curious as to what had transpired the night before. She had to ask again. "What did you get in Philly?"
He didn't want to tell her. He was trying so hard to be good, and he had been. He had been pushed, but he hadn't killed.
Still, there was blood. A lot of it. And it was so unusual for him to have a listening ear, which actually wanted to hear from him. Despite the exhaustion, he found himself recounting the previous night's events.
His body ached. His use of the Beast as a literal beast of burden was taking a toll on their body, and secretly he wondered if Patricia was telling the truth. If they would perish if he depleted all of the Beast's strength without offering him the flesh of the unbroken as sustenance. The issue would have to wait though. It was best to tackle one problem at a time, and he came back to his old home to take care of a very big problem-namely being a fugitive with no money and no documentation. Fortunately for him, he had answers.
It paid to have connections in a city as big as Philadelphia.
As he lithely prowled the streets, he could move a bit more freely. The only ones out at this time of night were other broken, those who held no love for the bureaucracy that had oppressed them, let them down all of their lives. A few vagrants even recognized him as the vessel for the Beast, and bowed their heads reverently. Dennis paid them no mind; no one deserved veneration less than he or the creature that possessed him.
"They would give us offerings and homage if we but asked it," the Beast rumbled, and Dennis could feel his desperate hunger for flesh that boarded on ravenous.
"Shut up," he growled, and the Beast fell silent.
He found the man he was searching for easily enough, but then Shondell always made sure to make himself available for those that knew where to look. The room he operated out of was nondescript, but the things that took place inside of it shaped the city with or without its residents' awareness.
Padding out of the darkness, Dennis made sure to make his approach known. Shondell never seemed to have an itchy trigger finger, but it wouldn't do to start negotiations on bad terms. The waif of a black man that stood in front of him wasn't the least bit physically intimidating, but Dennis knew he could bring the entire city down on its knees if he so chose. He wasn't someone you wanted to have as an enemy, that was for sure.
They had met years ago. Dennis needed his own bank account and thus needed a name for himself, a number, a license, all those things required for the government to acknowledge you as a person, as valid. Shondell could provide those things, and his price was simple-access to the maintenance tunnels underneath the zoo. Dennis never asked what he used them for, and an explanation was never offered. A key was a small price to pay for financial security under Dennis's own terms.
"So what did he want from you this time?" Casey interrupted. She was increasingly becoming nervous that Dennis had done something…unsavory again.
Shame filled him as he realized what Casey was really asking: did he renege on his vows to not kill already? "It's not what you think, Casey." He studied his now empty water glass, observing the patterns on its surface. "He wanted me to pay someone a visit for him."
"He owes me," Shondell had explained.
"I'm not killing anyone for you." Dennis insisted. And he wouldn't, he'd figure something else out if he had to.
"No no, not kill. Just want you to send him a message. Bitch ass owes me, and he's draggin' his Nikes."
"Why me?"
For whatever reason, Shondell found the question hilarious and cackled, spilling the Yuengling he had been holding all over the front of Dennis's shirt. Dennis froze, trying with everything in him not to attempt to clean up the mess.
"You serious? You really think this guy is going to pussy out on me if he thinks the Beast is in my pocket? Think about it, it's perfect! 'The Beast' is reported making havoc out on the southside, the cops will be swarming the area looking for you. I'll have my boys make sure there's talk about Beast sightings all over the city, get you some relief from the piggies. By the time you're back I'll have all your papers, and I'll get what's owed me. "
"No one dies tonight," Dennis repeated.
Casey stared at Dennis dubiously. "Were you…tempted at all? To give in?"
Watching the dust motes float through the beam of sunlight pouring through the kitchen window, Dennis debated just how much he should tell her. But the answer was clear to him before he even finished asking the question: he would tell her everything.
He found the man right where Shondell said he would be-The Trestle Inn . It was closed for the night as liquor was unable to be served past two AM, but the backroom was still buzzing with activity.
Getting in was no problem to someone impervious to bullets. With one thunderous kick, Dennis broke the door in half and suddenly the room came alive with screams and warning yells. Dust and splintered wood rained down on them as Dennis stalked over to his prey, a weasel of a man in glasses and skinny jeans. The room was full of performers and clients, and the only two bodyguards on duty were slow to draw their weapons.
"Try it," Dennis taunted, his voice low with warning.
They shot quickly and inaccurately, but bullets still found their mark, and Dennis grunted as two tore through the meat in his shoulder and serratus anterior. It hurt like hell, but in the morning the injury would just be another memory. Seeing the bullets pierce him harmlessly made something click for one of the shooters, and he dropped his gun in surrender. "That's the fucking Beast that's been killin' all those girls. Fuck, we're fucked!"
The man whom owed Shondell money-Francis- dropped to his knees. "Please, what the fuck do you want from me!?" Dennis tried to remain intimidating, keep his mind on the mission, but one of the girls cowering in the back looked so much like Casey that he got distracted and his heart briefly stopped. Francis noticed the direction of his gaze and immediately tried to bargain for his life. "You like 'em young, right? You want the bitch? She's all yours."
One of the bodyguards pushed the young woman forward and she fell to her knees, too terrified to scream, even whimper. The room had fallen silent, end everything inside Dennis simultaneously froze and turned red with rage. He was exposed, and everyone knew his secret shame. He hated himself. He was so tired of hating himself. In the midst of his fury his grasp on the Beast was slipping, and he could feel the alter exerting more and more control over their body. Now that he was blind, the Beast's sense of smell was near supernatural. Scents and smells that were not usually detectable to Dennis's very human nose suddenly became apparent ; he could hear everyone's heart pounding erratically, almost tasted the fear in the air. The scent of marrow in Francis's bones called out to him.
Dennis leaned down, forcing the other man onto his knees, broken and humiliated, the same way he humiliated that young woman. Francis screamed in agony as his shoulder dislocated and his collarbone snapped, and Dennis could feel something sharp poking his palm underneath the skin. " Do it. Twist his arm off and let me drink his fluids," the Beast coaxed . "Break his bones, suck out the marrow!" More animal then human now, Dennis leaned down and licked Francis's face slowly, tasting him. The other man started crying, tears leaking down his cheeks, tangy salt mixing with sweat. It was almost too much and the Beast nearly took complete control.
Soft weeping interrupted his blood lust, and Dennis ripped his gaze from his target back over to the young woman on the ground. His eyes roamed over her barely concealed thighs, her stomach, and he was losing himself. The Beast's hunger for flesh, HIS hunger for a different type of flesh, it was burning him up.
Then his eyes met hers and he saw Casey's visage once again. It wasn't much, but it was enough for him to remember who he was. He breathed once, breathed twice, and then his grip on the Beast solidified once more. He had retained his humanity. He had passed his dark night of the soul. He threw Francis down on the ground, disgusted with his own near loss of control. Only the man's collarbone had been broken, but Dennis assumed that was enough to show he meant business. He didn't feel like hurting anyone anymore. "You owe Shondell money. I suggest you pay up," he snarled.
Francis nodded weakly, in too much pain to say anything. It was clear he got the message.
Satisfied, Dennis walked over to the girl, who was still trying to make herself disappear through the floorboards. He stepped softly, as though the quiet would be enough to soothe her fear. He crouched down next to her, gently raising her chin with a finger so she was looking at him. She gasped in surprise. The black holes that were once his eyes had now given way to an ocean blue.
"What's your name?" Dennis asked her.
"A…Ayana," she stammered out.
He helped her to her feet, and then turned to look at Frank again. "You hurt Ayana, and I'll know. I'll come back. I'm a man of my word."
"Fortunately for us Shondell is also a man of his word. He gave me a new social security card, a new license; I can finally access my bank account again!" Shaking his head as though in disbelief, Dennis looked up at Casey with a confidence he hadn't felt since before Raven Hill. "We're actually going to be ok, I think."
Almost reverently she reached out to touch his hand. "I never doubted we would be, Dennis. Also, I want you to know…I'm proud of you. I bet the others are too."
He would have smiled, but smiling always took a bit more energy for Dennis than it did most people. His shoulders sagged. "We can talk later. I need to sleep."
Motioning for him to follow her, Casey led him up the kitchen stairs to the second floor and down the hallway. "These first two rooms are bedrooms, and there's a bathroom down at the end on the right, if I'm remembering correctly," she pointed out.
Nodding gratefully, Dennis entered the first bedroom to the right and collapsed onto the unmade kingsize bed. Realizing that there were no sheets, Casey ran to the armoire at the back of the hall and was pleased to find some blankets inside. Hoping they were clean enough for Dennis, she grabbed a few and brought them back to his room. He was already passed out, so she gently laid the duvet over his legs and backed out of the room quietly.
She spent the day cleaning up the messes Barry and Patricia had made, dusting, and searching the cabin up and down for items that might be of use to them. She ran out of things to do by mid-afternoon, having done most of it the night before while Dennis was away. She did score some Campbell's Chicken Soup in the kitchen and made the entire can, hoping she would at least have some company for dinner, but there wasn't a peep from upstairs. To be fair, that sort of traveling would make anyone exhausted, superhuman or not.
By the time bedtime rolled around, the house was near spotless. Spotless for most people at least, she was sure Dennis would go on another cleaning round himself. Or ten. Whatever floated his boat.
Thinking it at least prudent to check on him before she turned in for the night (he was being so very quiet, after all), Casey headed upstairs and got ready for bed the best she could. She was without pajamas or a toothbrush, but thankfully had found some toothpaste and soap in the upstairs bathroom the night before and made due with that. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she made her way over to Dennis's bedroom.
Gently opening the door so as not to wake him, she noticed the comforter had slide off of the bed. She padded softly over to where it was and retrieved it off of the ground. As she went to lay it back down over her friend, the man stirred and turned around, looking up at her with clear blue eyes.
Kevin.
She knew it was Kevin, because she couldn't help but think that it was like looking into a Basset Hound's eyes, so big and earnest and a little sad.
"Hey you." His voice was soft, almost ethereal, and as non-existent as he had felt his entire life.
"Hey Kev." She was almost afraid to breathe, like any sudden movements would startle him and he'd flee the light. "I'm happy to see you."
He looked at her like maybe he thought she was making fun of him, but then she lay down beside him and placed a hand on his chest. He covered hers with his own. Glancing around and taking note of the relative luxury of the bedroom, he cocked an eyebrow. "Where are we now?"
"A cabin, out in the Poconos. Belongs to an old family friend."
"Pretty ornate in here. Barry must be thrilled." He leaned over her to get a better look at the stuffed animal heads that mounted the wall across from them. "How much time has passed since I've last been in the light?"
Casey had to think a minute. "It's only been about two days."
Eyes widening, Kevin sat up in shock. "Seriously? That makes it, what, four times in the past month? It's been years since I've done that last." Awe lit up his face, and a smile played on his lips. "It must be because you're here."
The idea that she could have a positive impact was pleasant, but it was a foreign one. Uncle John always told her she was good for nothing but trouble, nothing but heartache. "It's a lot easier to face life when you're not doing it by yourself."
His goofy lopsided smile was back. "I'm never by myself, you know that."
"You're right. But now you have me too. You've got a whole team of kick-ass going for you."
He exhaled sharply through his nose in a bit of amusement. Pulling the cover over them both, Kevin lay back down and placed a gentle hand on her cheek. "So about that... Are you ever going to tell me how we met? I know…something horrible happened back at the zoo, but…"he trailed off. In his head he knew he wanted the truth, but he wasn't sure if his heart could handle it.
His internal struggle was playing out on his face and Casey knew then and there, looking into those mournful hound dog eyes, that she could never tell him what really happened the day the Beast first emerged. "Maybe someday. It's not much of a bedtime story, you know?"
It was obvious she was reluctant to reveal details, and the thought made Kevin impossibly sad. Whatever she was trying to protect him from would most likely break him if he knew, he understood that. It just filled him with an unfathomable grief that he could have been a part of something so terrible. "Someday then," he repeated, squeezing her hand.
Casey stayed by his side until he fell asleep, his breathing becoming rhythmic and nearly lulling her to sleep herself. She didn't want to though, not here where there was a myriad of alters she could end up waking next to. For a time she just lay there and listened to Kevin's gentle breaths correspond to the rising and falling of his chest.
Before sleep could actually overtake her, she quietly got up and tip toed out to the bedroom next door. She still had a bunch of questions for Dennis, but it didn't seem like she would be getting any more answers tonight. The sooner she went to bed and morning came, the sooner she would get to see him again.