The hybrids spun.

  "Death Master!" Slasher blurted in a nasal tone.

  "We didn't see you there," said Blackjack, his voice low and booming.

  "Obviously."

  "We're just out having a blast," Slasher said. "You know how it is."

  "Indeed I do. I hope you will remember how it is, and keep in mind the next games are the day after tomorrow."

  "Sure, we know," Blackjack said.

  "Excellent. Then have fun." The titan sat down and yanked Claire onto his lap.

  Captain Havoc leaned toward the Warrior. "I say we get out of here and go find you know who," he whispered.

  "Who?" Horatio asked.

  "No one in particular," Blade said with a reproving glance at the officer. "Besides, I don't want to leave until after I have a chat with the two gentlemen who just entered."

  "Say what?" Horatio said.

  Subdued conversation spontaneously rippled among the patrons as the pair of hybrids neared the bar.

  Blade slung the M-16 over his left shoulder and stepped directly into their path. "Hello."

  Shocked by the Warrior's effrontery, the mutations halted and regarded him suspiciously.

  "What the hell do you want?" Slasher snapped.

  "I have a few coins on me and I'd like to buy both of you brewskis."

  Blackjack squinted up at the rugged face above his. "Why should you want to buy us drinks, human? We don't know you."

  "Can't a fellow be neighborly?"

  "What are you really after?" Slasher asked.

  "Yeah," added Blackjack. "Humans are never friendly to us. You must have an ulterior motive."

  "Do you want the brews or not?"

  Slasher scrutinized the giant's physique. "Who are you, mister? You're not as big as Death Master, but you sure as hell have more muscles than any stinking human I've ever seen."

  "I eat my veggies."

  "What?"

  "My name is Blade."

  Blackjack jerked his thumb at the Bowies. "You any good with those toothpicks?"

  "I'm still alive," Blade told them.

  The hybrids burst into laughter.

  "You're not half bad for a scuzzy human," Slasher complimented him. "Maybe I'll take a drink after all."

  "Too late," Blade said.

  Both hybrids did double takes.

  "What the hell do you mean?" Slasher growled.

  "I mean I've changed my mind," Blade said calmly and loudly, so everyone in Club Royale could hear. "Why should I buy drinks for a pair of morons who don't have the intelligence of a turnip between them?"

  All conversation ceased. For an electrifying span of five seconds no one moved. Then, with a bellow of bestial rage, Slasher pounced.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The brief flurry of action occurred so amazingly fast that later no two patrons could agree on exactly how the newcomer did what he did. Everyone saw a blurred motion and gaped as Slasher catapulted rearward and slammed down on a table, upending it and falling to the floor. A heartbeat later, Blackjack was held in a grip of steel above the grim giant's head, a brawny hand clamped on his throat and another on his loincloth. The walrus-man bleated like a terrified goat and vainly struggled to break free.

  "You two dummies should learn better manners," Blade said, grinning. His shoulders rippled as he heaved Blackjack to the floor.

  Slasher snarled as he surged upright and crouched. "I'm going to tear you limb from limb, sucker! No human does that to me and lives."

  "I do," Blade responded, watching the second hybrid shove to its feet. "If you want to go around treating others like dirt, then you must expect to be treated like dirt in return."

  "Don't lecture us, prick!" Slasher screeched.

  Blackjack's mouth opened and closed, his large tusks quivering. "I'm going to rip your heart out."

  A new voice, quiet but commanding in its forcefulness, intruded into the confrontation, and both hybrids stiffened. "Neither of you are going to touch a hair on his head."

  Slasher and Blackjack whirled.

  The speaker had entered when all eyes were on the fight, and he now stood only ten feet from the irate mutations. Like them, he wore a black loincloth. In appearance he was a fascinating cross between a human and a bear. Only five-feet-eight, he possessed the build of a powerhouse. Dense limbs resembling thick columns complemented an exceptionally thick torso, and the thickness was further accented by a pronounced bump between his shoulder blades. His shoulders and upper arms were masterpieces of bulging might.

  A brown coat of fur covered his entire form, although the hairs on his face were shorter. He had concave cheeks, a pointed chin, and long nostrils. Deep, dark eyes regarded the world from under a receding brow. Circular ears framed his temples. His mouth was large, his lips thin, and when he spoke sharp teeth were revealed. Oversized hands hung at his sides, his prominent knuckles the size of apples.

  "What's he to you?" Slasher addressed the new arrival.

  "Butt out of this, Grizzly," Blackjack warned.

  The bear-man walked toward them and elevated his hands to his waist. "What happens if I don't?"

  Blackjack took a step backward, his eyes glued to Grizzly's thick fingers, to the flaps of skin above each fingernail. "Now hold on. I don't want to tangle with you."

  "This puke insulted us," Slasher said, indicating the Warrior. "We owe him."

  Grizzly stopped and ever-so-slowly started to extend his fingers to their full length. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear."

  Now it was Slasher's turn to stare nervously at the flaps of skin. "For crying out loud, chill out. If you don't want us to touch him, we won't."

  Smiling, Grizzly let his hands relax. "A wise decision."

  "I thought we were your buddies," Blackjack said.

  "You are."

  "Yet you'd unleash those swords of yours on us?" Blackjack glanced at the Warrior. "What is this lowlife to you?"

  "A friend."

  "Where do you know him from?" Slasher asked.

  "That's my business," Grizzly said. "Now why don't you guys go enjoy yourselves elsewhere while I shoot the breeze?"

  "Sure. Whatever you want," Slasher answered. Muttering under his breath he headed for the entrance.

  "I don't think the others will like the idea of you siding with a human against us," Blackjack warned and followed the boar-man.

  Slowly the club came back to life. The music blasted from hidden speakers and the women on the pedestals resumed dancing.

  Blade stepped up to Grizzly and grinned. "It's great to see you again."

  "I wish I could say the same." The hybrid's eyes strayed past the Warrior to Athena and Captain Havoc. He completely ignored her and nodded at the officer. "Who is he?"

  "Mike Havoc, Jim's older brother," Blade explained.

  "I can see the resemblance," Grizzly said and squarely faced the giant. "What the hell are you doing here?"

  "Looking for you."

  "Why?"

  Blade's forehead creased in confusion. He'd expected the hybrid to be overjoyed at seeing Athena again, yet the bear-man was giving her the cold shoulder. Shifting, he pointed at her and asked, "Can't you guess?"

  Not even bothering to look at Athena, Grizzly snorted and said, "Is she here looking for a great story?"

  "What's gotten into you?"

  "Not a damn thing. So do me a favor and leave Mesaville in the morning."

  Blade was about to tell Grizzly that they couldn't depart just yet when he sensed someone at his right side and pivoted to see Athena, her face a mask of misery, moisture forming in the corners of her eyes.

  "You don't seem surprised to see me," she said, sounding hoarse.

  With transparent reluctance, Grizzly finally looked straight at her. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the lady who likes to play dead."

  Consternation etched Athena's features. "You knew?"

  "Of course."

  "Impossible," she countered. "The coffin was never opened."

  "Aren't you forgetting something?"

  "What?"

  Grizzly tapped his nose. "I have the senses of the animal I resemble. My hearing is twice as good as yours, and my sense of smell puts yours to shame. If the wind was right I could detect your scent from half a mile away. So when I leaned over your coffin back in Los Angeles to inhale your fragrance one last time, I was confused when my nose told me that you weren't inside. At first I figured I'd made a mistake, that undertakers must do something to corpses that eliminates odors." Grizzly paused and frowned. "If wasn't until I'd left California for the Outlands that it hit me. My nose had been right. The reason we weren't allowed to see your body was because you hadn't died. But you wanted all of us to believe you were dead, which could only mean you never wanted to see me again." He paused once more and asked cruelly, "How am I doing so far, bitch?"

  "I didn't want to hurt you," Athena said weakly.

  "Now what makes you think that faking your death hurt me? Because I was fool enough to love you?"

  "Grizzly, please," Athena pleaded, tears trickling down her cheeks.

  "Don't expect mercy from me."

  Athena blinked and gazed at the nearby tables where customers were watching in fascination. "Can't we go somewhere more private and talk?"

  "We have nothing to say to each other."

  "I do. Why do you think I came all this way?"

  "I really don't know," Grizzly said softly. "And I honestly don't care." He started to turn.

  "Wait," Athena said, grabbing his arm.

  Grizzly recoiled as if zapped by a million volts of electricity, jerking his arm loose and glaring at her. "Don't ever touch me again."

  "You're not being fair."

  "Me?" Grizzly thundered so that everyone in the club heard. He raised his right hand as if to slap her, then changed his mind. The hand came down slowly. "I don't want to have anything to do with you."

  "How about me?" Blade said. "Let me treat you to a drink for old times' sake."

  "Sure. Whatever you want. The bartender knows what I like," Grizzly replied, his eyes on his former lover. He whirled and went to a table that was already occupied. One look at his face and the two men seated there decided they should go seek a good time at another establishment.

  Blade turned around and retrieved his water and suddenly the bartender was right there.

  "I heard him," Frank said, depositing a tall glass on the counter. "This is his usual."

  "What is it?"

  " Straight whiskey. He has nine or ten of these a night."

  "Thanks," Blade said. He glanced at Havoc and Athena. "The two of you stay right here until I'm done."

  Athena nodded and stepped to the bar. "Give me a whiskey too," she told Frank.

  "Stick to water," Blade instructed her.

  "Screw you."

  "You're making a mistake."

  "What's one more?"

  Shrugging, Blade walked to Grizzly's table and took a seat across from the hybrid. From his position he could keep an eye on Havoc and Athena on his right and see Death Master's table across the room. "Here's your rotgut," he said and shoved the whiskey to the hybrid.

  "Gracias, "Grizzly said. He took a swig and grimaced. "This stuff tastes like horse piss."

  "Then why do you drink it?"

  "Helps me forget," Grizzly admitted frankly. He scrutinized the Warrior's features and smiled affectionately. "Damn it's good to see you again."

  "I thought you wanted me to leave in the morning?"

  "I want the bitch to go. But it would be nice to spend some time with you reminiscing about old times."

  "I'd appreciate it if you didn't refer to her like that."

  Grizzly swallowed more whiskey. "Can't help how I feel."

  "Or are you denying your feelings?"

  "It's been a whole year, Blade. Anything I felt for her has long since dried up."

  The Warrior leaned on his elbows. "Funny. I was under the impression the two of you were in love."

  "We were."

  "Is that a fact? Well, an Elder at the home once told me true love never dies. Time and distance mean nothing to two people who genuinely care."

  A derisive snort burst from Grizzly's lips. "I'd forgotten how tricky you can be. You can talk rings around a tree."

  "You're evading the issue."

  "There is no issue. Why can't you get it through your thick skull that Athena and I are no longer an item? Let's talk about you. I take it the Force is back in action?"

  "Yep. The new team was formed about four months ago. Frankly, they mesh a lot better than the first squad did," Blade said.

  "That wouldn't be hard. We were always at each other's throats," Grizzly said.

  "Not always."

  The hybrid smiled wistfully. "Yeah, we did have some good times together, didn't we? Kicked some heavy duty butt in our time."

  "There's another hybrid on the Force," Blade said.

  "Really?" Grizzly leaned toward the giant. "Anyone I know?"

  "I believe so. He's a cat-man named Jaguarundi."

  "I do know him," Grizzly said. "He's a prissy turkey but the fastest thing on two legs."

  "He wanted to come but I wouldn't let him."

  "Why not?"

  "This was personal, not an official mission."

  "I'm surprised you let her talk you into it."

  "She didn't. This was my idea. I asked her if she wanted to come and she said yes."

  "Your idea?" Grizzly chuckled. "Did you really traipse all the way out here to the middle of the Outlands just to see me?"

  "Yes."

  "You're crazy."

  "There's a method to my madness," Blade said. "I hoped I would find you so I could extend my invitation."

  Grizzly paused with the glass halfway to his mouth. "Huh?"

  "I'd like to have you back on the Force."

  The bear-man's mouth slackened, and for a few seconds his expression was absurdly comical. He regained his composure and gulped a mouthful of whiskey, then wiped the back of his hairy hand across his lips. "No doubt about it, old friend. You are the craziest son of a bitch on the planet. Me rejoin the Force?" He cackled at the notion.

  "Didn't you like being on the Force before?"

  "I got used to it."

  Blade drummed his fingers on the table and surveyed the club. Athena was trying to see how quickly she could finish her whiskey, and Havoc was eyeing her with concern. "Is there something holding you here?"

  "This is as good a place as any," Grizzly said defensively.

  "Mesaville is the foulest armpit in the western hemisphere."

  "Don't let Death Master hear you say that."

  "You let me worry about him."

  Grizzly set down his glass and blinked. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

  "Take it any way you want," Blade said, sipping some water.

  "Damn you. You are, aren't you?"

  "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "Bullshit. You're going to try and put Death Master out of operation and close down Mesaville. Am I right?"

  "I took an oath to protect the interests of the Federation wherever they might be threatened, and Mesaville is definitely a danger to its very existence."

  "What can you hope to accomplish? You're one guy against hundreds."

  "Havoc and Athena are with me."

  "Big frigging deal. Havoc ain't in your class and Athena never was much good at fighting."

  "We'll get by."

  The hybrid leaned back, tilting his chair until the front legs were off the floor, and peered intently at the Warrior. "You're up to something again."

  "Me?"

  "You're always up to something. Sure, you act dumb sometimes, but your mind is always chugging away a mile a minute. You've got a plan. What is it?"

  "I'm playing this one by ear."

  "Well, don't expect me to help you."

  "I don't. But I would appreciate you giving serious consideration to rejoining the team."

  "You've got Jag on the team. What do you need with two hybrids?"

  "His abilities are different from yours. The two of you would complement each other."

  "No dice."

  "Suit yourself," Blade said, staring into his glass, and waited a bit before saying, "You still haven't told me what you do here?"

  A shadow fell over the table and a sibilant voice stated, "He kills those who annoy me."

  Blade looked up into the smirking visage of Death Master.

  CHAPTER NINE

  "Mind if I sit with you?" the towering mutant asked, and he promptly took a seat before either Blade or Grizzly could answer. "Now about your question," he said to Blade, "Grizzly here is the favorite at the games. He has been for the past ten months. The people all like him, and I've won more betting on him than I have on all the other hybrids combined. He's very special to me."

  Grizzly looked away, clearly embarrassed.

  "What are these games I keep hearing about?" Blade asked, inwardly simmering.

  "Hasn't anyone told you? Well, at least twice a month special events are held at an arena in the next cavern. I call them the games. Competitions are arranged between my stable of hybrids and various worthy opponents. For good measure I also pit my pets against certain offenders. It's quite thrilling. Everyone in Mesaville goes."

  "I take it these pets of yours are rather exceptional?"

  Death Master grinned. "Yes, indeed. I've gone to great lengths to collect some of the deadliest mutations alive. Keeping them well fed is quite a challenge."

  Blade gazed at the bear-man. "Why didn't you tell me that you work for him?"

  "What difference does it make?" Grizzly snapped, avoiding the Warrior's eyes.

  "Why Grizzly, there's no need to be shy," Death Master said. "You're the most efficient killing machine I've ever encountered. You should be proud of your skills."

  "Since when should a person be proud about being able to kill better than others?" Blade said.

  Death Master glanced at the Warrior. "Strange words coming from a gang member, eh?"

  Chiding himself for being an idiot, Blade tried to allay the mutant's suspicion. "I simply meant that killing can hardly be construed as a creative talent."

  "You know," Death Master responded, "you are, without a doubt, the most extraordinarily intelligent raider I have ever met. And I know because I am extraordinarily intelligent."

 

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