Blade walked over, his boots making no noise on the thick carpet, and stared down at her. "Excuse me?"

  She started at the sound of his voice and twisted, regarding him in wonder. "Who are you? Don't you know no one is allowed in Death Master's private quarters?"

  "The name is Blade."

  She stiffened and sat up, then recovered her composure enough to inquire innocently, "Are you one of the new guards?"

  "Don't play games with me. You know who I am. Where's Death Master?"

  "Haven't seen him," she answered defiantly.

  "Who might you be?"

  "Lolita," she said proudly.

  Lolita? Where had Blade heard the name before? Suddenly he remembered. "You're one of Death Master's women."

  "I'm his only woman," Lolita said. "The rest are nothing to him but pieces of fluff."

  "Is that so?" Blade said and leaned closer. "Then you must know where your paramour is."

  "My what?"

  "Your main squeeze."

  "Maybe I do. Maybe I don't. But I'm sure as hell not telling you," Lolita said.

  "You'll tell," Blade said. "First, get dressed."

  "I don't wear clothes."

  "What?"

  "Are you hard of hearing? Clothes are unnatural. They prevent our bodies from staying in tune with the vibrations on this level of reality."

  Blade cocked his head and regarded her as he might an alien bug from Alpha Centauri. Was she serious? Her expression indicated she was indeed. "Do you have any clothes in this room?"

  "A few, but I only wear them when Death Master makes me."

  "Now I'm making you. Put them on."

  "And if I don't?"

  "I throw you out the window."

  Lolita looked into his eyes and frowned. "Yeah. I believe you would, you prick."

  "Watch that hostility. You might disrupt your vibrations."

  Glaring spitefully, Lolita climbed from the bed and went to a closet. She pulled out a pair of slacks and a lace-fringed blouse. "Will these do?"

  "Nicely. Get them on."

  "All right. All right." Lolita donned both garments quickly. "Now what?"

  "Now you're going to take me to Death Master," Blade said and gestured for her to move toward the door as he did the same.

  "But I don't know where he is."

  "I don't believe you."

  "Why would I lie?"

  "Because you love him." Blade reached the doorway and waited for her to join him.

  "You think you know it all, don't you, sucker?"

  "There you go again, ruining your vibrations."

  Clenching her small hands, Lolita snapped, "I hope my man rips you to bits."

  "He won't get the chance."

  "You don't know him like I do. He won't rest until he's found you."

  "I want him to find me," Blade reminded her. He peeked out and found the corridor still empty. "You lead the way."

  "But I'm telling you the truth, damn it. I don't know where he is right at this moment."

  "Maybe you don't," Blade said. "It doesn't matter. Once he discovers I've taken you, he'll come to me that much faster. I can use you."

  "You son of a bitch."

  "Enough compliments. Let's go," Blade said, and let her pass him and move into the hall. "Go to the stairs and head up."

  Reluctantly Lolita complied.

  The Warrior stayed on her heels, scanning the corridor ahead. He was about to look over his shoulder and check to his rear when a hard object jammed into the back of his head and he heard the distinct click of a gun hammer being cocked.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Grizzly took out Eric first on general principles, whipping his left hand down and slashing his claws from the top of Eric's head to the tip of the man's chin. Five inch-wide gashes blossomed, spurting blood, and Eric screamed and dropped his shotgun as his eyeballs were sliced in half.

  In a blur Grizzly spun, going after gunner number two, spearing his claws into the man's throat and twisting, seeing a hole the size of his first appear.

  The other three were trying to flee.

  Grizzly grinned as he pounced. Humans like these were so predictable: so big and brave when they had an edge or the odds were in their favor, but craven cowards once the tide of battle turned against them. He dispatched all three before they literally knew what hit them; then he paused to survey the five forms littering the split in the stone.

  Eric was still alive, on his back, his hands over his ravaged face, whimpering and blubbering.

  Keeping his gore-spattered fingers rigid and his claws out, Grizzly walked to the former tough guy. "Eric," he said softly.

  "No!" Eric screamed. "Leave me alone!"

  "I can't do that and you know it."

  "Oh God. Oh God. Oh God."

  "If there is a God, Eric, he can't help you now. It's dues-paying time. Now how do you want this? Fast or slow, easy or hard."

  "Please. Please. Please."

  Grizzly nodded. "Fast and hard. Got you." He bent forward and drove his right hand down and in, lancing his claws into Eric's chest, knowing the precise point to strike to knife between the ribs and into the gunner's heart.

  Eric gasped and arched his back, his hands falling to his sides. All the breath in his body gushed out at once and he went limp.

  "Wimp," Grizzly said and straightened. All five gunners were now dead. He wiped his claws clean on Eric's pants, then let his fingers relax and felt the claws slide up their internal sheaths into the housings behind his knuckles. At times he was thankful the Doktor had seen fit to provide him with retractable claws. A real grizzly didn't have the same luxury—all five of their claws were always out. Perhaps, he speculated, there was a trace of feline in his system. Cats, after all, did have retractable claws. Maybe that was where the damned Doktor got his inspiration.

  "Grizzly? Are you all right?"

  Athena's voice brought Grizzly out of his reflection. He jogged down the mound and went around its base until he saw her hurrying toward him.

  "Are you okay?"

  "Fine."

  She halted and stared at his hands. "There was shooting."

  "One of them had good reflexes, but he couldn't hit the broad side of a mountain with an A-bomb."

  "What now?"

  "We do like Blade wants. Hang out in this area and pick off any guards who show up."

  Athena looked toward the tower. "I wish he'd let us go with him."

  "The Big Guy knows what he's doing. Has he ever steered us wrong before?"

  "No."

  "Then don't worry. Come on." Grizzly led her closer to the residence, his animal senses reaching out like invisible feelers to probe the stone formation and the shadows. So far there were no other guards in the area. He halted in the shelter of an enormous slab and crouched.

  "Is it wise to stop?" Athena whispered.

  "We're safe for the time being."

  She knelt beside him, her eyes radiating affection. "This reminds me of the good old days when we fought together."

  Athena gazed off into the distance. "You want to join the Force again, don't you?"

  "I've been giving it some thought. Blade asked me to, and I'd like to accommodate him after all he's done for us."

  "What if I asked you not to?" Athena said.

  "You don't think I should?"

  "I don't know," Athena admitted, staring at him. "I know we owe a debt to Blade, but I also know I want us to be together for a while all by ourselves. A cabin in the Cascade Range sounds nice. We have a lot of lost time to make up for."

  "My sentiments exactly."

  "Then maybe you should tell Blade you'll check back with him in a year or so," Athena said hopefully.

  Grizzly saw the anxiety etched in her countenance and took her into his arms. "Don't worry. I'm not about to let anything separate us after all we've gone through."

  They sat silently for several minutes, embracing.

  "I wish I was wealthy," Athena said.

  "Why?"

  "So we could live in the wild somewhere and never have to come out except to take money out of our bank account and buy supplies."

  "And never have to face other people."

  "Right."

  "Never have them stare at us and point and make crude comments."

  Athena released him and sat back. "I never said that."

  "You implied it," Grizzly said. "You're still worried about what other people will think when they see a freak and a human together."

  "You're not a freak."

  "I know that and you know that, but few humans would agree. It won't be easy. I wouldn't be surprised if vigilantes came gunning for us to teach us a lesson. Some people will have a hard time accepting that two species can mate."

  "So isn't it wiser to go off somewhere by ourselves?"

  "And hide from the world?" Grizzly said.

  Annoyed, Athena verbally tore into him. "Why do you keep putting words in my mouth? I thought we had this all worked out, but you persist in rubbing old wounds."

  "I just want you to be sure."

  "Me?"

  "This might seem blunt to you, but you were the one who got cold feet the first time around. You were the one who decided to call it quits. Now here you are, a year later, ready to start over where we left off," Grizzly said.

  "Don't you want to start over?"

  "Of course I do. But I'm scared to death you'll chicken out again once we're back to California. It's all well and good for you to admit the way you feel here in Mesaville where no one else gives a damn and you don't give a damn for any of them. In California, though, it'll be a different story. Your family lives there. All your friends and business associates are there. How do you feel about their discovering the truth?"

  "Afraid," Athena confessed quietly.

  "See what I mean?"

  She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Yes, I do. But you're sadly mistaken if you think I'll chicken out, as you so quaintly put it, this time around. As you pointed out, I've had a year to think about our relationship, and I've discovered a person's happiness doesn't stem from what other people think. True happiness comes from within."

  Grizzly studied every square inch of her face and didn't detect an ounce of indecision.

  Athena stroked his neck. "I love you, you hairy lug."

  About to respond in kind, Grizzly tensed when the chatter of automatic weapons erupted to the northeast of their position.

  "Blade, you think?"

  "Probably," Grizzly said, rising.

  "We should help him."

  "I don't—" Grizzly began, but froze when he heard the stealthy pad of footsteps from a few dozen yards away. He pulled Athena upright and backed away from the slab.

  "What is it?" Athena whispered.

  "We have company."

  "More guards?"

  "Another hybrid."

  She blinked and unslung her M-16. "What kind?"

  "I don't know yet. There's no breeze to carry its scent in this direction." Grizzly pivoted and led Athena into the maze of stone shapes, traveling 40 yards before he saw fit to halt behind a boulder. The moment he did he heard the footsteps. Closer this time. Right on their trail. "Damn," he muttered.

  "What's wrong?"

  Grizzly didn't bother to answer. He and Athena ran farther into the stone jungle. When they stopped again, Grizzly heard no sound of pursuit. Who had it been? he wondered. Certainly not Brahma; the bull-man couldn't tread lightly if his life depended on it. Nor did he think it was Pika, the timid rodent-man. It might be Rinty, the crossbred result of combining human and canine genes: Rinty's nose could track anyone anywhere, wind or no wind. Or it could be Vank, the marmot, or Drazil, the human gecko.

  More gunfire blasted to the northeast.

  "Blade must be in trouble," Athena said.

  "Let's swing to the south and move toward Death Master's digs from the southeast," Grizzly said. "The guards are concentrating on this area. If we elude them, maybe we can get near enough to see what's going on."

  "Fine by me. But I thought you wanted to stay in this vicinity."

  "I've changed my mind," Grizzly said, leading off. He didn't bother to add that by taking her to the southeast he was taking her away from whichever hybrid was lurking nearby. Not that he feared any of his fellow mutations. But if they ganged up on him, he might not be able to protect Athena adequately, and safeguarding her was his paramount priority.

  They covered 60 yards and heard no one, saw nothing. At one point faint gunshots sounded, as if coming from inside the tower.

  Grizzly held Athena's hand in his and marveled at his good fortune. He'd hated to admit it even to himself, but he really did love her. Despite the stupidity of falling for a normal human, he hadn't been able to help himself. To his knowledge, not one hybrid had ever committed the same folly. Athena and he were breaking new ground. If their relationship turned out successful, perhaps other hybrid-human pairings would take place. What would happen, he mused, when offspring resulted? Would the children be human, hybrid, or a quirky combination of both? How would they be treated by society at large? There were so many uncertainties. But one fact he knew for sure: he'd stick with Athena no matter what sacrifices he had to make or hardships he had to endure.

  An almost inaudible scratching came from somewhere behind them.

  Grizzly paused to listen but the noise wasn't repeated. Were they being stalked or were his nerves getting the better of him? He sniffed loudly.

  "What is it?" Athena asked.

  "Just checking," Grizzly lied and went forward. He cast repeated glances backward, hoping to spy something move.

  As they covered more distance, Grizzly took full advantage of the terrain, staying low, keeping boulders and mounds and spires between them and the tower so they wouldn't be seen from any of the upper floors. He halted at the base of a ten-foot-high boulder and surveyed the route ahead.

  "There's something I must say," Athena unexpectedly said softly.

  "Can't it wait?"

  "No. I've got to say it now."

  "What?" Grizzly asked, looking at her.

  "I want you to make a promise in case something happens to me."

  "Nothing is going to happen to you."

  "But if it does, I want your word now that you'll do as I ask."

  "I'd do anything for you. You know that."

  "I know. Which is why I expect you to keep your word."

  "Don't keep me in suspense."

  "Okay," Athena said. "I want you to promise me you'll return to California no matter what happens to me."

  "You're being morbid."

  "No, I'm not. Promise me," Athena whispered.

  "It's dumb."

  "Damn you, this is important to me."

  Grizzly shook his head. "Since you're going to come out of this safe and sound, there's no sense in making such a promise."

  "Please."

  "No."

  "For me."

  "What a cheap shot," Grizzly said and expelled a breath through his clenched teeth. "Why are you pressuring me to do this, anyway? Did you have a premonition you won't make it out? If so, we're leaving right this instant."

  "No premonition. This is just in case."

  Grizzly scrutinized her face carefully, trying to ascertain the truth. The promise upset him, implying as it did that Athena might die. "This isn't the time to talk. I'll promise later."

  "Now, before you take another step."

  "What difference does it make whether I go back to California or not?"

  "I want you to be happy."

  "I was happy here."

  "Bull." Athena tugged on his arm. "Please," she said. "Don't make me grovel."

  Frustrated by the request, Grizzly nonetheless acquiesced. He couldn't refuse her a thing even if he tried. "All right. But I'm only doing this so we can get on with the job at hand." He paused. "I promise I'll go back to ditsy California should anything happen to you, which it won't."

  Athena smiled gratefully and went to speak.

  Above them, on top of the boulder, there was a low titter and someone remarked, "How touching. How romantic. I think I'm going to puke."

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  "Please give me an excuse to blow your brains out."

  At the sound of the familiar voice, Blade imitated a petrified tree. "Hello, Death Master," he said calmly.

  Lolita turned, gazed past the Warrior, and smirked. "I knew you'd get this chump."

  "You're wearing clothes."

  She nodded at Blade. "He made me put them on."

  The gun touching the back of Blade's head gouged even harder and he winced.

  "For this indignity alone, you deserve the most horrible fate I can concoct," Death Master said.

  Blade felt the gun shift, and his nemesis slid into view on his right. The cold steel of the barrel pressed against his ear.

  "Lolita, take all his weapons and pile them on the floor," Death Master instructed her. "Be careful to stay away from his hands."

  "You've got it, sweets."

  Furious at himself for being captured, Blade watched her deposit the M-16's, the pistol, and his Bowies off to the left. His gaze lingered on the knives.

  "Don't even think of it," Death Master warned. He quickly stepped around in front of the Warrior and backpedaled over two yards. In his right hand was a Desert Eagle .357 Magnum.

  "Now what?" Blade asked, noticing that Lolita still stood beside the pile of weapons only a yard off.

  "Now we provide you with luxury accommodations until such time as I elect to dispose of you," Death Master replied smugly.

  "He'd be a natural at the games," Lolita said. "Give him to Sting."

  "Sting?" Blade repeated.

  "One of my pets," Death Master said. "I've had him for over a dozen years."

  Blade pretended not to be interested in Lolita, but surreptitiously he was gauging the distance between them, calculating whether he could seize her and use her as a shield while he grabbed his Bowies. He'd probably take a slug in the attempt. Perhaps if he inched a bit nearer—

  "Darling, go fetch some of my incompetent guards," Death Master commanded.

  "On my way," Lolita said and skipped toward the stairwell.

  The Warrior watched her leave with a constricted sensation in his gut.

  "Until they arrive why don't we enjoy a nice chat?" Death Master said.

 

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