I packed what few belongings of mine were worth packing in a sheet, slung it over my shoulder, and led Dives downstairs to the rear entrance. We stepped out into the dark, dingy alley to find several unwelcome surprises. Some local thugs stood around my hunk of junk. One of them knelt in front of my car with a carjack beneath my car and another had my car tire in his hands. Two others stood by and watched the proceedings with flashlights. These guys had more class than the garage thugs, so they held wooden bats instead of pipes.
The four of them turned at our exit. The one who knelt stood, and the pair with the bats took center stage between us and my car.
"Get the fuck out of here, if ya know what's good for ya," one of them warned me.
I tightened my grip on my bag and glared at him. "Like hell I am. That's my car."
"But the tires are ours," the other bat boy spoke up.
My eyebrows crashed down and I took a step forward. "Like hell they-" Dives held an arm out in front of me. I whipped my head up to look into his face. His stern attention lay on the thugs. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I'll deal with this," he told me.
He dropped his arm and walked down the steps. The men took a few steps back and accessed their new foe.
One of them shone their light on Dives's face and frowned. "What the hell are you supposed to be? A dog? Don't you know Halloween isn't here yet?" That got a laugh out of his buddies.
A sly smile slipped onto Dives's face. "Not quite, but if you know what's good for you you'll leave."
The first bat guy smirked and nodded. "Sure, we'll leave. After we get the other three tires."
Dives shook his head and moved within range of their bats. "Sorry. I can't let you do that."
The guy laughed. "Like hell you're gonna stop us." He pulled his bat back and swung it to connect with Dives's face.
"Duck!" I yelled.
Turns out Dives didn't need to. He grabbed the thickest part of the bat before it hit him. The thug frowned and tugged on the bat. "Let go!"
Dives chuckled. "You shouldn't have done that." He crushed the wood until the end broke into a thousand tiny splinters.
The thug stumbled back with what remained of his bat. There was a mangled mess at the end. The thug quaked in his boots as he jerked his head towards Dives. "W-what the hell are you?"
"A nightmare."
Dives dove forward and swung his fist. His hand connected with the man's cheek and sent the thug into the side of my car. He slid to the ground, but the man's body left a nice indent in the rear door.
I whipped my head to Dives and glared at him. "You're supposed to be saving my car, not destroying it!"
"You fucking bastard!" the other bat boy shouted.
He swung his bat, but Dives took my advice and ducked. Dives swung his fist and hit the man in the gut. A wheezing of air escaped his lips and his eyes bulged out of his head. He crumpled to the ground and lay in a fetal position.
Dives turned his attention to the other thugs. "Who's turn is it?"
The men dropped what they were holding and ran down the alley. Dives turned to me with a smile and bowed. "Your chariot awaits, my lady."
I crossed my arms and nodded at the missing tire. "The horse is lame."
Dives followed my gaze and shrugged. "There's nothing I can do there. I'm a werewolf, not a mechanic."
I rolled my eyes and tossed my bundle at him. He juggled the jiggly contents for a few moments as I stalked down the stairs and over to my car. I shoved the unconscious man out of the way and pointed at the tire.
"You can at least hand that to me," I told Dives.
He rolled the tire over to me, and in a few minutes I had the wheel on and tight. I even had a new carjack to toss into my trunk. I stepped back and admired my work.
Dives moved to stand beside me and smiled down at me. "Beautiful, and mechanically inclined. What more could a man ask for?"
"Interest," I quipped as I brushed my hands on my pants and took the bundle from him. "Now where's this house of yours?"
"Along River Road, if you know where that is," he told me.
I looked up at him and frowned. "Yeah, but I know it by a different name. Rich Road."
He chuckled. "It does have quite a few wealthy occupants."
I snorted. "Yeah, like all of them. Now come on. I could use a bath."
We climbed into my car and drove away from my old life and to my new one. The streetlight-lit route took us through the maze of commercial and urban streets and to the south-eastern portion of the city. The Cam River broke the city into two districts and emptied into the bay. The port lay to the south-west of the river, and the wealthiest of the city's citizens had their homes along the eastern shores of the bay.
City slum changed to commercial, then to the urban areas with their identical homes and finally into the grand estates of the super-wealthy. Large mansions and high stone walls turned their noses up at my old car. The dark autumn night hung over the quiet streets and stars twinkled above us. A waxing moon shone its light on the trees along both sides of the street and cast long shadows across the street. Behind and to our left lay the city, and to our right beyond the lush estates lapped the cool waters of the bay.
My eyes flickered to Dives. He stared straight head in all his furry glory. "So should I be looking for the biggest one or what?"
He smiled. "I flatter my person, not my house."
I snorted. "So now your modest?"
He shrugged. "It's a failing, but one of my few. Anyway, my house is the one at the end of the road and on the right."
I glanced in that direction and saw that the road stopped in front of a wilderness area. A large,faded white sign advertised a wildlife refuge. On the right was a tall gray-stone wall with a long black iron gate. I stopped in front of the gate beside a small intercom. Two columns flanked either side of the gate, and each one had a camera zeroed in on the interior of my car.
There was a crackling sound on the intercom followed by a high-pitched screaming voice. "Mr. Dives! Where in the blazes have you been?"
Dives winced. "Not so loud, Puer. I'm all right."
The clip of Puer's words didn't slow down. "But what happened? Why are you like that? Who is this woman? Why did you leave your car? Why didn't you answer any of my calls?"
Dives sighed and leaned over me to speak into the intercom. "I'll explain everything when we get inside, but that won't happen if you don't open the gate."
"What? Oh! Yes! Yes, of course! Right away, Mr. Dives!"
The noise from the intercom stopped and the gate swung inward. A gravel driveway led across a wide lawn filled with ancient trees and to a two-floor, full attic colonial home. The place was a mansion, but not as gaudy as some of the castle-like structures we'd already passed. We drove up to the roundabout that abutted the front walk and parked the car. I stepped out of the car and leaned my head back to take in the full view of the many tall windows with their paneled glass. The white clapboard siding stood out against the darkness of the night, and a few lights poured from the windows and streamed onto the lawn. Nothing moved save for the tree branches in a soft bay breeze. The scent of fresh water came to my nostrils and I took in the tranquility with a deep sigh.
It was not to last.
Dives stepped out and the front door flung open. A man of fifty rushed out and down the concrete path. He wore a black suit with a white shirt, and there was a look of panic on his tense face. The man grabbed Dives's hands and looked the man over. "What in the world has happened, Mr. Dives? Why are you transformed?"
Dives freed himself from the man's tight grasp and gestured to me. "It's a long story, but let me introduce you to someone who possibly saved my skin, and maybe my life. Miss Dakota Combes, this is my manservant and old family friend, Elliott Puer. Puer, Miss Combes." I waved.
Puer bowed stiffly at the waist in my direction and turned back to his master. He grasped D
ives's upper arms and swept his eyes over the werewolf man. "But what's happened, Mr. Dives? Why are you like this?"
Dives smiled and shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm hoping a long, hot bath can fix it."
Puer bowed his head. "Yes, of course, whatever you wish." His eyes fell on me. "And will Miss comes be staying?"
Dives turned to me. He stepped to the side and gestured to the open front door. "I would be very glad if you and your bed-sheet bundle would stay a while."
I sighed, scooped up my bundle and shut my door with my foot. "I'm staying, but don't forget your promise. My own bed."
He chuckled and bowed his head to me. "As you wish."
CHAPTER 6