“So we have an organized gang of werewolves that is also mysterious and unconventional. What else could go wrong?” Eugene asked.

  “Let’s not tempt fate. We got plenty of problems already,” Bob told Eugene as he started making coffee. “Have you heard from Isis?” he asked.

  “I’m telling you, she is taking a vacation at the bed and breakfast,” Constantine told him.

  “She called and confirmed she would be staying at least three nights over there,” Bartholomew added.

  “I agree with the boss. She is chilling in Jefferson,” Bob said with a smile.

  Constantine and Bob nodded their heads to each other.

  “At least somebody is having a good time,” Eugene said. “What is our next move? I’m tired of running around Texarkana stabbing people.” If only they knew how much he meant those words. He had to be looking crazy doing what he’d been doing.

  “I got the number for our little kidnappers from Seventh. We are going to set up a drop point for tomorrow,” Constantine told him.

  “Are you serious? We can’t pay them. The Mistress would kill us.” Eugene tried to get up from his chair and panic shoved him into motion, but he got stuck.

  “Calm down, Eugene. You’re going to hurt yourself again,” Bob told him as he slid Constantine a mug of coffee, then handed a hot chocolate to Bartholomew.

  “Can I get one?” Eugene asked Bob, staring at Bartholomew’s mug and licking his lips. Bob made the best hot chocolate in the country.

  “As soon as you are done with your shake,” Bob replied.

  “Are you done freaking out?” Constantine asked. “Of course we aren’t negotiating with kidnappers. Especially those punks. But we still need to get them out in the open.” He licked his face after sipping his coffee. “We have our own policies for dealing with these types of situations. Not nearly as dramatic as yours.”

  “What should I do?” Eugene asked as he finished his shake. Before he even set his glass down, Bob gave him a mug of hot chocolate.

  “Sleep,” Bob answered for Constantine. “It’s way past your bedtime and you are delirious.”

  “No, I’m not,” Eugene said, stifling a giggle that snuck right out of his throat.

  Constantine angled his head towards him. “Says the man bouncing around in his chair at the sight of hot chocolate.”

  “But it’s so good. And it’s hot, and silky, and so good.” He was delirious. More than delirious. He’d lost every marble he’d collected in his head and thrown them so far away he had no chance of collecting them.

  “Got it. It’s so good,” Constantine told him. “Bob, please help Giggles to bed.”

  “With pleasure, Boss. I will be back to debrief shortly,” Bob told Constantine as he tried to assist Eugene out of his chair.

  “Eugene, don’t listen to him. You are right. It is so good,” Bartholomew told Eugene as he started to do his own happy dance by his computer station.

  “Bob, we really need to talk about the ingredients you use for your hot chocolate,” Constantine told Bob as he gave Eugene and Bartholomew a suspicious look.

  “Of course, Boss,” Bob answered, then he walked Eugene out of the loft.

  “I could’ve handled getting to your room on my own,” Eugene told Bob as they headed down the stairs.

  “Probably, but you forgot your cold patch leaving the table,” Bob told him as he held up the compressed patch.

  “I couldn’t hold the chocolate and the patch at the same time,” Eugene confessed. “It’s all about priorities.” He took another sip from his mug and felt like everything was right in the world.

  “At least you have your priorities straight,” Bob told him as he inched Eugene into the room.

  Eugene had a feeling he’d be out as soon as his head hit his pillow.

  Eugene laid in a giant tub filled with hot chocolate, with giant marshmallows floating all around him. The tub sat between some trees in what looked like the heart of a forest. Instead of bubbles in his bath, there were layers and layers of cream. The rich aroma of chocolate wrapped around him and his mouth watered in anticipation. Just as he started sliding down to immerse himself in the goodness, the vision evaporated into dust.

  It had all been a dream. A beautiful, glorious dream.

  “Eugene, stop making funny faces and wake up,” a familiar voice told him, and it sounded like he was far away.

  Where was he? He had no idea what had happened, but he thought he was in a bed. He felt below him, still not opening his eyes all the way.

  “Wake up, Eugene,” Bob shouted as he shook Eugene’s shoulders.

  “No! My chocolate!” Eugene shouted before opening his eyes.

  “Do I want to know what you were dreaming about?” Bob asked Eugene.

  “Probably not, but it was delicious,” Eugene answered, still smelling the hot chocolate in the air.

  “Are you looking for this?” Bob asked him as he held out an even bigger mug filled to the brim with hot chocolate.

  “How did you know?” Eugene asked, grabbing the cup and taking a huge gulp. He didn’t care that he hadn’t brushed his teeth yet. After his dream, he craved the sweet deliciousness inside the mug.

  “Easy. You have the same look Constantine gets when he is smelling his favorite dish,” Bob said, eyeing Eugene. “I could make a fortune just charging you and Isis for this stuff.” He laughed, but he shouldn’t have. He was probably right.

  “And Bartholomew. You can’t forget him,” Eugene replied.

  “Of course. We can’t forget Bartholomew,” Bob told him, chuckling.

  “What’s going on? Why am I getting breakfast in bed? This is not normal,” Eugene asked Bob after his mind finally cleared.

  “We need more antidote,” Bob told Eugene. “After last night, everyone is out. To make things worse, we need it ASAP to head to the high school.” Bob’s smile morphed into a frown.

  “What’s going on at the high school? Aren’t they on summer break?” Eugene asked. It had been a few years since he graduated from high school, but he was sure school didn’t go all year long.

  “Yes, the regular year is out, but they have summer classes going now,” Bob clarified. “They spotted a few of the werewolves at the campus and the police locked down the school. They are afraid of another incident like A&M.”

  “That’s a good call,” Eugene told him as he forced himself out of bed. “I think we are out of supplies, though. Even EpiPens.” He glanced up at the ceiling as he made a mental inventory of what they had left.

  “Way ahead of you,” Bob said. “We sent Shorty to your lab to get more supplies. Hurry, we need you,” he added from the doorway.

  Eugene moved. He jumped in the shower, waking himself up even more, and as he dressed he realized he had just as many personal things in this room as he did at the lab. Eugene wondered when Reapers had turned into his extended home, but he didn’t have a lot of time to ponder that thought.

  Ten minutes later, Eugene crossed the first floor of Reapers and entered his makeshift lab. Eugene was surprised to find Shorty, Constantine, and Second in the lab, especially since he’d only been expecting Bob.

  “Second, what are you doing here? Am I in trouble?” Eugene’s heart rate beat like the wings of a hummingbird. Did Pestilence know what happened? If she found out, he was a dead man.

  “I’m here to help,” Second told Eugene with a smile.

  “Really?” Eugene asked, his voice high pitched with surprise.

  “I know how hard it is to be the rookie in the lab, but we are family,” Second told Eugene. “You don’t have to do this alone.” He beamed with enthusiasm.

  “Not to mention, two mad scientists are faster than one,” Constantine told them. “I’m all about this. Now get to work.”

  “You are one demanding guardian,” Second told Constantine. “Are you sure you never worked for the Mistress?” Second’s gaze burned into Constantine.

  Constantine scoffed with disgust. “Work for that hag? I would rather die.” His lip curled towards his nose

  “Boss, are you okay?” Bob asked Constantine.

  “Even thinking about her makes me sick,” Constantine announced.

  “That would be a no to your question, Second,” Bob translated for Constantine.

  “That’s a shame. You would be awesome in the lab,” Second told Constantine, his eyes looking a little sad.

  “This sounds like a great family reunion, but do you all still need me?” Shorty finally asked. Left to his own devices, he’d been playing with Eugene’s chemistry beakers in the back.

  “Second, did you bring enough supplies to make at least five hundred pens?” Eugene asked his peer.

  “We have enough for double that,” Second said, and his chest puffed with pride.

  “Then we are good. Thank you, my man,” Eugene told Shorty, shaking his hand.

  “Anytime, E,” Shorty told him. “Now hurry. We need as much of that vaccine as you can make. After last night, we are all out. Big Bob, I’m out.” He shot out the door.

  “Keep me posted if any more cases pop up,” Bob told Shorty, who turned and saluted him before he vanished. “Okay gentlemen, do you need me for anything?” Bob asked.

  “I think we are good here,” Eugene answered.

  “Perfect. I’m going to make breakfast.” Bob announced and headed out the door.

  “Oh wow, I get to have the famous Bob’s breakfast,” Second said, almost giddy. “The guys are going to be so jealous.” He looked like a kid in a candy store.

  “You guys really need to get out more often,” Constantine told both Interns. “You are starting to scare me.” He headed out the door but stopped before walking out. “By the way, Shorty brought back several samples of the food the werewolves were using to distribute the drugs. Do you guys want it?”

  “Yes,” both men answered in unison.

  “That is perfect. We can see if they are diluting the stuff with anything,” Eugene told Constantine.

  “Great. It’s in the box in the corner. Now don’t have too much fun in here.” Constantine left both scientists to play with their toys.

  “They are just going to leave us unsupervised?” Second asked Eugene.

  “Pretty much,” Eugene answered, realizing Death’s team was a lot more trusting than Pestilence. If you were given access to Reapers, you had unlimited access. Unlike their lab, where everyone had restricted access based on their clearance level. Their worlds were very different. “Second, how did you get permission to come and help me?” Eugene knew how difficult it was to leave the lab.

  “Seventh sent me,” Second said, smiling wide. “He told the rest of the crew he needed me to assist you in the distribution of a new food virus to affect the city for the holidays. According to Seventh, he created it himself and wanted to see how many people could ingest it, and what the consequences would be,” Second finished, then he brought the box of samples to their work station.

  “That is brilliant,” Eugene admitted. “Where did he get that idea from?” he asked, more than impressed with Seventh’s ingenuity.

  “He drilled poor Shorty on the status of the situation. Once he got all the facts, he created his own cover story.” Second gave Eugene an impressive nod. “I shouldn’t be surprised how creative Seventh can be. I heard stories that he was a wild one in his youth. Rumor has it, he even seduced the Mistress into giving him the job.”

  Eugene froze at that announcement. “Do you believe that?”

  “Hell yeah,” Second answered.

  That caught Eugene off guard. Second had never been very forthcoming with information, so having him tell him this shocked Eugene. Maybe Reapers had an odd effect on Interns that did not work for Death.

  “How can you be so sure?” Eugene asked, wanting to hear more of the lab’s drama.

  “Everyone knows Seventh is the favorite. He can say and do whatever he wants, even though he is not the senior one,” Second told him. “According to Maria, our senior cook, who is at least ninety years old, she said Seventh was a looker when he was younger. He is still pretty smooth, like a classic Sean Connery.” He smirked.

  Eugene didn’t know what to say, but he liked hearing all the gossip.

  “I can’t believe it,” Eugene mumbled.

  “None of those guys are perfect, they just pretend for your sake,” Second confessed. “You were still young in our ways so they were trying to mold you as much as they could.”

  “They were? Does that mean they stopped?” Eugene worried his team had given up on him, or that they would be sending him away.

  “We all realized you are not helpless or a mindless puppy that can be brainwashed.” Second told Eugene. “You were the fifth rookie we recruited, and you haven’t let us down.” He met Eugene’s eyes.

  Eugene frowned. “What happened to the other four?” Eugene had no idea there were others before him.

  “They were textbook brilliant, but lacked imagination,” Second answered as he organized the beakers. “They brought nothing new to the team.” He stopped to look at Eugene again. “You are different. Besides being curious, you have this innate ability to make friends. You also aren’t scared of bending the rules for the greater good. Eugene, you have opened a bridge between Death and us that has been closed for decades. That is huge.”

  Eugene’s jaw dropped open. He hadn’t even realized Second knew his name. “I didn’t think anyone noticed.” His voice cracked as he leaned against the worktable for support. “I just keep making mistakes.”

  “Of course you are making mistakes. That just means you are working. You are experimenting and testing boundaries,” Second told him in a proud voice. “We are scientists, Eugene. We suck at expressing feelings. But the lab is lonely when you are not around. Yes, everyone is excited when Sunday rolls around, and it’s not because you are bringing ice cream or dessert from Reapers. It’s because you are coming home.”

  Eugene swallowed hard around the lump wedged in his throat. “I thought I drove everyone nuts and you guys were happy when I wasn’t there.”

  “We are all creatures of habit. You know that more than anyone,” Second told him and Eugene nodded in agreement. “You are that rare one that turns the lab upside down. When you are around, there’s music playing, food cooking, and all sorts of chaos. We haven’t seen that in years. You brought life and youth back to the lab. So, no, we notice when you are gone and we are not letting you fail,” he told Eugene and gave him a fist bump. “Welcome to the rebel society.”

  “The what?” Eugene asked.

  “Oh, come on. You know we have a few brown nosers in the group,” Second answered. “We are the group that keeps the balance in the force, else the Mistress would be total banshee crazy.” He winked at Eugene and started organizing things again.

  “What side of the force are we?” Eugene asked, loving the Star Wars reference.

  “It depends on the day. Today we are the dark side,” Second told Eugene. “It’s time to start showing you some tricks, though. You ready to learn, Grasshopper?” he asked Eugene as he made beakers disappears. “You didn’t think it was only Death that gave her Interns magic?” He waved his hands in front of his body and sparks flashed around.

  “How come I didn’t know this before?” Eugene asked with wide eyes.

  “We needed to figure out what type of Intern you were going to be,” Second told him. “Going against the rules for the greater good answered our questions. Proud of you, Rookie. Ready?” He grinned as the experiments he’d been working on levitated.

  “I’m all in,” Eugene answered. He loved his job, but there had been so many times he had felt like an outsider. This was the first time he finally felt like he belonged.

  Less than two hours later, Second and Eugene entered the loft. Bob was serving eggs and bacon to Bartholomew, who still looked half asleep. There was a plate of bacon in front of Constantine, and he was devouring it.

  “Are you guys okay? Do we need more supplies?” Constantine asked.

  “We are done,” Eugene announced with a cheerful lilt.

  “What? How?” Bob asked. “Last batch took you almost five hours.”

  “Constantine was right. Two worked better one,” Eugene answered with a shrug.

  “I know. I’m always right. But unless you two conjured potions out of thin air, that is a miracle,” Constantine told them, giving both a suspicious look.

  Maybe Constantine didn’t know about their magic. But he had to, right? He was older than dirt, after all.

  “You said it was an emergency, so we made it happen,” Eugene told Constantine with a smile.

  “I’ll take the miracle because we need it,” Bob told them.

  “What happened?” Second asked.

  “Sit down and get something to eat while I explain,” Bob told him. “This is going to be a long, busy day, so you better get as much food as you can while you have the chance.”

  Eugene licked his lips and Second rubbed his hands together as Bob brought out a quiche from the oven, as well as bacon, toast, and fresh juice.

  “When did you have time to make all this?” Second asked Bob.

  “You are not the only one with magic tricks, child,” Constantine told Eugene, and after a quick glance at Second, both of them gave the cat a wide-eyed stare. “Bob has skills we don’t even know about,” he finished between mouthfuls.

  So, he did know.

  “You should try these eggs. They are seriously amazing,” Bartholomew told the men. “Last week he made eggs-in-a-hole with gluten free bread.” His eyes shone as he ate his breakfast.

  “What are eggs-in-a-hole?” Second asked, looking between Bartholomew and Bob.

  “It’s an egg that gets fried in the middle of a slide of bread,” Bob answered while he cut his quiche. “I was afraid the quiche would be cold by the time you two were done, but nice timing,” he told them, giving each a huge slice.

  Second didn’t wait a second before grabbing his fork and diving in. After he chewed it up and swallowed, he said, “This is divine. Mr. Bob, you just made my month. I’m in heaven.” The words came out of him as if he were singing them with joy.

 

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