***
Elise and Ian watched James vanish down a side alley.
"You've known him longer than me," she said. "Is this something he does regularly?"
"Not usually.” He looked up and down the street, as if hoping James would appear in the crowd.
"Do you want to call him?"
"Yeah." He straightened to his full height and patted at his pockets. "Shit."
"Forgot your phone?"
"Why do I do that?"
"Mine's in my car. Come on, bud. Let’s go yell the shit out of James."
When they reached her car, she leaned in and felt around for her purse. Finding it, she fished out her phone and almost immediately it rang.
She cried out and almost dropped it. Opening it quickly, she pressed it against her ear. "Hello?"
"Elise?"
She looked around the street. "Daniel? Daniel, what the shit? Are you meeting us outside Hell’s Gate or not? "
"Guess where I am right now."
"Alaska."
"Turn around."
She did, looking across the street at the club. She watched the door open and a young man step out to wave at her.
Daniel was about the same height as Elise, with the same straight dark hair that he obviously spent a lot of time styling and getting model-perfect. Instead of Elise's freckles, he had deep, dark eyes, which always made him look like he was plotting something.
"Holy cow," Elise said. "Daniel!"
She and Ian ran across the road towards him.
"Ian!" Daniel said. "Long time no see."
"Hi Daniel," Ian said, glancing at Elise. "How did you get inside the club? It was locked when we got here.”
Daniel looked amused. “I work here.”
"Holy shit, Daniel!" Elise said, shoving him. "No, you don’t. You do? I don’t understand. How long have you been in the city then? Why didn’t you call me sooner?"
Daniel laughed. He backed away, smiling, hands up, defensive. "Listen, I can explain everything. Why don't you come inside and see where I work?"
He grabbed one of the doors and yanked at it, pulling it open. "Come on. Let's not lurk around outdoors."
The inside of the club still looked like an old theatre. He led them through a clean, carpeted lobby, and out into an enormous space facing the stage. The only light in the darkness came from the hastily installed bar set up on the west wall. On the stage, people dressed in dark clothes scurried about, but in the darkness they couldn’t see their faces or what they were doing.
"Daniel," a soft voice cooed through the shadows.
A light suddenly came on from the apparatus above, illuminating a woman sitting on the side of the stage. Ian couldn’t believe how beautiful she was. She looked like a work of art, a painting.
As she looked at them, her long blond braid fell over her shoulder. Her harness shifted, and Ian looked at the large wooden wings spread out behind her back.
Elise was right, he thought; real freak show.
“Alice,” Daniel said. “How are you?”
“I’m doing fine,” she replied, smiling. “I’m in my favourite place in the house.” She looked up, smiling beatifically around her. “The stage is where the theatre comes to life.”
She turned and saw Elise. “You’re from Call to Arms,” she said softly. “I’m sorry to say I’ve never listened to your music, but Daniel says you’re very, very good.”
"Oh," Elise replied. "Thanks, I guess. I, uh, like your wings."
"Aren't they lovely? I found them in the storage room when I acquired the theatre."
"Come on," Daniel said, leading them onto the stage. "We can hang out in the back. Is James coming? I thought he’d be with you."
“Yeah, hopefully he’s coming,” Elise said, glancing at Ian with irritation in her eyes.
But Ian was looking back at Alice, who was bent over, smiling at the floor, wings clacking together. Something’s not right about this place, he thought.