Blade glanced at the weasel-man Havoc had shot. "That would be my guess," he lied.

  "I can guarantee it won't happen again."

  "I hope so."

  "No hard feelings?" Death Master asked testily.

  "Of course not," Blade fibbed again.

  At that moment Horatio revived and struggled to his feet, staring at all the people and the corpses in bewilderment. "What the hell happened? Who hit me, boss?"

  "Does it matter?" Death Master asked and moved toward his underling. "You were supposed to watch out for my guests, to make sure they weren't harmed. Because of your incompetence they were nearly killed."

  Horatio licked his lips and took a terrified pace backwards. "But I was sucker punched. I didn't have a chance to do a thing."

  "Most unfortunate. As you well know, I'm not one to forgive carelessness." Death Master stopped, towering over the hapless escort.

  Blade could have prevented what transpired next by coming to Horatio's defense, by explaining the man wasn't to blame, but he refrained for two reasons. First, Horatio had overheard too much of the conversation between Grizzly and Athena. Second, Death Master had set Horatio up to take this fall, so why not let the tyrant dispose of the snitch before Horatio could reveal incriminating information?

  "Please, boss. You've got to listen to me," Horatio declared. "I've got something to tell—"

  Death Master's hands swept up and clamped on the subordinate's head. A sharp lightning twist to the right, another to the left, and Horatio was dead on his feet, his spine snapped, his eyes blank, and his mouth slack, unable to utter a cry, forever mute. Disdainfully, Death Master let the body sink to the ground. "This is his just reward for displeasing me," he announced to the crowd.

  Blade suddenly became aware of Captain Havoc standing on his left. "Are you all right?"

  "I hurt a little, but it's nothing a case of aspirin wouldn't cure. What have I missed other than Death Master's heart-to-heart with the idiot?"

  "I'll fill you in later." Blade walked to his M-16 and picked it up, then tossed the officer's to him.

  Death Master pointed at the shotgun wielder. "Eric, you will take Horatio's place, and I trust you will be more diligent than he was. Show our guests to their quarters."

  "Right away, boss," Eric said and motioned at the Warrior. "Follow me."

  Blade glanced at Grizzly. "Care to tag along? We'd enjoy your company."

  "I don't think so."

  "Come on," Blade prompted. "We can talk about the good old days."

  "Please," Athena chimed in.

  The bear-man hesitated, undecided.

  "Perhaps it would be better if Grizzly didn't accompany you," Death Master interjected. "You must require rest after your long journey and the stress of being attacked."

  "I'll go," Grizzly declared.

  Suppressing a grin, Blade nodded at Eric. "Lead the way, Yorick."

  "The name is Eric."

  "Whatever."

  Death Master stood and watched them wend through the crowd, his alien features successfully screening his inner emotions. He waved just before they turned a corner.

  "Nice guy," Havoc said.

  "He scares me to death," Athena confessed.

  Their new escort heard her and laughed. "You're not as dumb as you look, bitch."

  No sooner were the words out of Eric's mouth than Grizzly was grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around. The hybrid's left hand came up, the fingers rigid, and out popped his five-inch claws, one on each finger. He held them close to Eric's eyes and growled. "Ever wondered how a loaf of bread feels?"

  The implication wasn't lost on the gunner. He tried not to show his fear and said evenly, "What's eating you?"

  "She's a friend of mine. Insult her and you insult me."

  "Hey, no one told me."

  Grizzly slowly let his arm drop and relaxed his fingers. The claws automatically retracted. "Now you do." He gave Eric a shove. "Keep going and keep quiet."

  They walked another 40 yards and arrived at a two-story stone house. A flight of chiseled steps led from the sidewalk to the upper level. Lights were already on inside.

  "These are the VIP quarters," Eric announced with a hasty glance at the bear-man. "You have the top floor. I'll be on the bottom. If you want anything give a yell."

  "Will do," Blade said and added casually, "Are the lights always kept on?"

  "Nope. The boss sent someone over earlier to make sure the place was shipshape."

  "How thoughtful." Blade went up the stairs onto a balcony and gazed out over the sea of monoliths, domes, and spires before passing through an arched doorway into a comfortably furnished living room. Connected to the living room on the right and the left were bedrooms; straight ahead was the bath.

  "Not bad," Captain Havoc said, admiring the plush couch and twin chairs.

  "For a prison," Blade said.

  Grizzly and Athena lingered near the doorway, neither bothering to comment.

  "I don't know about the rest of you, but I could use some food," Blade said.

  "I'm with you, sir," Havoc agreed. "I worked up an appetite back there."

  "I'm not hungry," Athena said.

  "Me neither," Grizzly stated.

  The Warrior motioned for the captain to join him, and together they walked onto the balcony and leaned over the side. "Eric, are you awake down there?" Blade yelled.

  "Of course," came the huffy reply. The escort stepped onto the avenue, tilting his neck so he could see the upper floor. "What do you need?"

  "Food. Can you dig anything up for us?"

  "Why didn't you eat at the club?"

  Blade shrugged. "We weren't hungry then. Will you get us something or not?"

  "Yeah," Eric replied, although he didn't seem very keen on the idea. "But all of you are to stay put while I'm gone. I don't want anyone wandering off."

  "We won't budge," Blade promised.

  "Okay. What do you want? There's a bar near here where they serve great sandwiches and brewskis. I can be there and back in five minutes."

  "There's no need to rush," Blade said. "We'll pass on the brews but sandwiches would be nice."

  "What kind? Heroes, plain bread, or hot off the grill?"

  "Surprise us."

  Nodding curtly, Eric wheeled and ran to fill their order.

  "Now we can talk freely," Blade said.

  Havoc chuckled. "You sent him off on purpose, didn't you?"

  "What do you think?" Blade said. "Now let's get down to cases. Since we know Death Master is trying to kill us, each of us will pull a guard shift tonight. Do you want the first, second, or third?" He paused and chuckled. "There might even be a fourth."

  "You've lost me, sir," the officer said. "How do we know Death Master wants us dead?"

  "Because he engineered our encounter with Slasher and Blackjack."

  Captain Havoc appeared perplexed. "I must have missed something somewhere along the line. I thought they were after us because of the fight you had with them."

  "The fight was legitimate. I provoked them in the hope word would get back to Grizzly about the new guy in town who whipped two hybrids. Little did I know he'd come walking in the door," Blade said and laughed.

  "Okay. I follow you so far."

  "Think back. The two hybrids came into the club and Death Master warned them to behave themselves, remember?"

  "Yeah."

  "But two minutes later they're all set to tear me apart. Did Death Master interfere?"

  "No."

  "Which struck me as odd, when you consider he's the supreme power in Mesaville. Everyone here, with the exception of Grizzly, is terrified of him. With just one word he could have brought Slasher and Blackjack into line."

  "But it all happened so fast that maybe he didn't have time."

  "That's a possibility, but I suspect he didn't intervene because he saw a way to eliminate us without arousing suspicion."

  "You've lost me again, sir," Havoc said.

  "Despite what Death Master told us when we met him, he didn't believe for a minute that we're gang members. He's dropped enough hints to convince me he suspects we're linked to the California Army. But he doesn't have proof, and he won't make an overt move against us until he does."

  "Why not?"

  "Because the success of his operation here is based on the trust he's inspired in the gangs. They know they'll get a fair deal when they travel to Mesaville to trade and celebrate. If he cheated them or mistreated any gang members, the rest would stop coming and he'd be out of business. Didn't you hear him bragging about how he always keeps his word? The irony of his den of iniquity is that Death Master's honesty keeps Mesaville running," Blade said.

  "How does all of this tie in with Slasher and Blackjack?"

  "They were convenient scapegoats. When Death Master saw us fight, he realized he had the perfect means to dispose of us without pointing the finger of blame at himself. He probably instructed them to jump us on the way here."

  "Wait a minute," Havoc said, recalling the events of the evening. "The two hybrids left the club way before Death Master did. Do you think he had the time to find them and set the hit up?"

  "They might have been nearby. Or he could have sent one of his henchmen to trail them and let him know where they went. For that matter, he might have had a goon relay his orders, but I doubt it. He wouldn't want anyone else to know of his scheme."

  "The scenario you present is possible, but it's all supposition."

  "Call it an educated guess. The clincher for me was the presence of Garo."

  "The weasel-man? Why?"

  "Because he wasn't involved in the fight. What did he have to gain by helping Slasher and Blackjack when he must have heard that we are Death Master's special guests? He knew to buck Death Master merits death. I doubt he would have assisted them unless he knew in advance Death Master sanctioned the attack."

  "Again, it's pure speculation."

  "I suppose so. But I'm not about to give our host the benefit of the doubt. Until we leave Mesaville, we're not letting our guard down for a second."

  "Okay by me," Havoc said. "What's our next step?"

  "We'll rest up tonight and check out Mesaville in the morning. I imagine that most of the gang members are late risers; so we should have the streets pretty much to ourselves."

  The captain pursed his lips and stared into the distance. "I just thought of something."

  "What?"

  "If you're right about Death Master, then the real reason he insisted we stay here a week is to give him enough time to either snuff us out or uncover the proof he needs to justify killing us."

  Blade smiled. "You're learning."

  "Geez. And I thought I was sharp. Where did you ever learn to think so deviously?"

  The Warrior chuckled. "It comes naturally once you're married."

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  "I think he did that on purpose," Athena said softly, hoping to break the uncomfortable silence hanging oppressively in the living room.

  "Who?" Grizzly asked absently, his hands clasped behind his back as he stepped slowly toward a chair.

  "Blade," Athena said, moving closer to take a seat on the couch.

  "What are you talking about?"

  "He deliberately took Mike outside so we would be alone."

  Grizzly glanced through the doorway to where the Warrior and the officer stood discussing the ruler of Mesaville. "I wouldn't put it past him," he concurred. "Blade is the trickiest SOB I know." He stopped near the chair, but did not sit down.

  "He's been tactfully pressuring me to resolve everything between us," Athena said, looking at the floor instead of the hybrid.

  "What is there to resolve? Our relationship is over."

  "I know that and you know that, but Blade apparently doesn't."

  "Maybe I should have a talk with him," Grizzly said, and he realized they both were speaking softly so as not to be overheard. "He's getting too pushy for his own good."

  "He means well."

  "So did Genghis Khan."

  Athena giggled, a girlish, genuine expression of mirth, the first such release she'd had in many days, her eyes briefly aglow with affection for the man-beast before her, and then she caught herself and self-consciously lowered her head.

  "Did you know Blade intends to shut down Mesaville?" Grizzly asked.

  "No, but I wouldn't put it past him."

  "He's nuts. The odds are too great. All of you should leave at sunrise," Grizzly said, his eyes on the ceiling.

  "Do you want us to leave?"

  "Of course."

  "Oh."

  Grizzly glanced at her. "We might not be warm for each other's form any more, but we're still sort of friends, right? And as a friend I'm telling you to get your butts out of Mesaville before the psycho running this show sees fit to do you in."

  "That reminds me. I want to ask you a question."

  "Shoot."

  Athena looked up and their eyes met. She started as if from a physical blow. "Why do you stay here?"

  "No special reason."

  "I can't understand it. You possess such a noble soul. Why stoop to living in a sewer?"

  The hybrid snorted. "A noble soul? Me? Honey, I don't even know what the hell a soul is."

  "What did you call me?"

  Grizzly blinked, realizing what he had said. "Sorry," he said. "Force of habit."

  "No harm done," Athena said.

  An awkward couple of minutes elapsed as neither dared to speak.

  "Why don't you come over here and sit down?" Athena asked, moving to one side and patting the cushion beside her. "There's plenty of room."

  "I'd rather stand."

  "Whatever you want."

  Grizzly frowned and began to pace in a leisurely fashion back and forth in front of the bathroom doorway. "Now I'd like to ask a question."

  "Fire away."

  "Why did you risk your life coming all the way from California to this godforsaken dump?"

  Athena didn't reply.

  "Is something wrong?" Grizzly asked after a bit.

  "No."

  "Did my question upset you?"

  "Yes."

  "Why?"

  "Because I don't want to make a fool of myself. I'm afraid you'll laugh in my face."

  "Never happen."

  She shifted and pretended to look out at the balcony. "I've had a lot of time to think during the past year. When Gallagher first proposed faking my death, I thought his idea would solve all my problems—"

  "Hold the phone," Grizzly interrupted. "General Gallagher came up with the brainstorm for the phony funeral?"

  "Yes. He visited me in the hospital. Under the influence of all the drugs the doctors had pumped into me, I went and blabbed about our romance. I even admitted I was upset because no human had ever married a hybrid. I guess it was easy for him to see I was at my wit's end. Out of the blue he proposed the funeral."

  "General Gallagher," Grizzly said, his voice oddly strained.

  "Yeah. Did Blade tell you about the problems he's been having with the good general?"

  "No."

  "Figures. Blade likes to take care of his own problems, but he loves to help others out with theirs. I don't know all the facts, but it sounds to me as if Gallagher has been working behind the scenes to destroy the Force."

  The hybrid's expression hardened. "Do tell."

  "When Blade returns to Los Angeles the fireworks will really fly," Athena predicted.

  "My money is on the Big Guy."

  "Don't count Gallagher out yet. He's a powerful man with a lot of political clout. He can give the Warrior a rough time."

  "Sounds like Blade could use some help. Do you plan to stick by his side?"

  Athena sighed. "My future is in limbo right now. I haven't given any thought to what might lie ahead beyond Mesaville."

  "Are you still writing for a living?"

  "Yes. I've been doing my syndicated column under a pseudonym. I even altered my writing style so no one would suspect I was still alive," Athena said, and shook her head in amazement. "Somehow Blade figured it out. Gallagher tried to prevent him from finding me, but you know Blade."

  Again Grizzly's voice became strained. "Gallagher tried to stop him?"

  "Yes. Sent three soldiers to break Blade into pieces. Havoc told me they were three of the best martial artists in the entire Armed Forces."

  "I take it Blade mopped the floor with them?"

  "It was close. Havoc helped him."

  "Then I owe Havoc too," Grizzly said to himself.

  "Pardon?"

  "Nothing. You were saying about Gallagher's loony idea to separate us?"

  "Oh. Yes. Well, I was wrong. It didn't solve my problem." Athena stared at him. "During the past year a minute hasn't gone by that I haven't thought about you. And I've tried to forget. Oh, how I've tried. But I kept remembering the happiness we shared, a happiness such as I'd never known, and eventually I came to the conclusion I'd ruined my life by allowing fear to warp my thinking. I never should have tried to deceive you."

  The hybrid stopped pacing. He faced her, scarcely breathing. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

  Athena seemed to spring off the couch to stand in front of him. "I'm saying I'm tired of beating around the bush. I'm saying Blade hit the nail on the head. I let my devotion to my career ruin the only genuine happiness I've ever known." She paused and took a deep breath. "I love you, Grizzly. I've never stopped loving you. And I'll never forgive myself for the torment I caused you."

  The revelation riveted Grizzly in place. He didn't move, didn't blink, didn't even appear to be breathing.

  "Did you hear me?" Athena asked anxiously.

  He nodded once.

  "And?"

  "I don't know what to say."

  "How do you feel?

  "I feel like running as far and as fast as I can."

  Athena's countenance fell and she turned away. "Oh."

  "Only because my head is spinning," Grizzly said quickly. "I must be as crazy as you are."

  Athena's hopes soared and she pivoted, moving so close to Grizzly that they were almost touching. "Now are you saying what I think you're saying?"

  "We could be making a major mistake."

  "I was the one who made the mistake when I listened to General Gallagher."

 

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