Survivor Reborn (Kieran Grey Psionic Hunter) Read online

  “Be my guest, but let me out first. I’ve had enough for now.”

  Two days in a row, right after waking I’ve had an orgasm in the shower. I wonder if I’m starting yet another bad habit? Or, is it just part of that huge sex drive Tanaka was talking about? Will I ever get used to this body and my new life?

  I stepped out of the shower to find new towels fresh from the drier on the counter next to my gun. Mary must have brought them in while I was “busy”.

  Here I go getting embarrassed again!

  Ignoring the blush that covered my body, I dried off then moved to the vanity. I wasn’t sure about the whole makeup thing. But, I knew I’d have to practice putting it on sometime. Even though I honestly thought I looked great without makeup.

  But, I suppose since I am a woman and all now, I should get used to wearing some.

  The variety of choices on the vanity was overwhelming. Emmy had matched the color of my eyes before, so I dug through the selection pulling out the colors that matched my eyes the best that I could tell. I wasn’t after anything fancy, just a little extra color.

  I found an eye shadow that was close to my eyes, just a few shades lighter with a touch of silver glimmer to it. It took three tries before I got it on without looking like clown makeup. There was an eyeliner the exact shade of my eyes. I poked myself in the eye a few times with it, and that really stung. The next step I had expected to mess up the most with the dark mascara, though it wasn’t actually that hard to apply once I figured it out.

  Now I just needed to do the lips. Among the lipsticks was something that looked like a pen. It had Lip Kiss in silver letters across the side. I opened the cap. It held a brush that pulled out of the tube with a light silver-purple liquid on it that matched the eye shadow. Why not? It matches. I painted the color on my lips. The lips took me four tries before it looked right. I’d accidently gotten some of the liquid on my front teeth. Without thinking, I licked it off. The taste was a sweet mix of berries.

  Interesting. I definitely need to practice this more often. If for no other reason than to learn how to do it without taking so many tries to get it looking right.

  I dug through the closet. I needed clothes, but I didn’t feel particularly girly. No dresses. All of the jeans were a low-rise cut hiphugger style that would barely cover my ass standing, much less if I sat down.

  I need to order some regular jeans next time I talk to Emmy. Now I see why the girls in school were always putting coats over the back of their chairs, to keep the boys in the next row from looking down the back of their pants at their underwear. If they even wore any.

  Vicki was moaning in the shower louder now. I laughed to myself as I dug for underwear. What type of underwear do you wear with jeans like this? Or do you even wear any? I pulled out a pair that was the color of my eyes. Most of the clothes I own now are one shade of purple or another. I guess it’s a good thing I don’t mind purple. Holding up the pair of panties in my fingers I started to laugh at myself. Another thong, I feel a theme here. I dug out a white sports bra and socks. The sports bra had a yin/yang symbol in the same violet in the center.

  Once dressed I looked in the mirror. The violet thong was very plainly visible above the low cut jeans, with the designer jeweled-heart clasp in the back that held it together a good inch above the waist of the jeans. Any underwear would’ve been visible since the front of the jeans only came up a few inches above the crotch. I could’ve worn the jeans without underwear with little embarrassment only because my body was completely shaved down there.

  I’m afraid someone’s going to have to give me a very embarrassing lesson on personal grooming sometime, if I’m going to keep up the look. Somehow I don’t think my old electric is the right tool for the job.

  I pulled on the socks then went to the wall of shoes. So many high heels. Finally I found what I wanted, plain hiking boots. I pulled them on. They were incredibly comfortable, just like all of my clothes.

  I put on the gun holsters, belt pack, and armed myself. Reloading each gun and the spare clips, as well as the belt pack. I added another Glock and a pair of silver reinforced handcuffs I found in the gun safe. They would work against vampires and shifters, as well as humans, at least in theory. I replaced the light grenade I’d used the night before in the hair clip then pulled back all my hair into a simple ponytail with the clip, I then straightened my bangs. I was dressed and armed, two guns at my back, and a gun under each arm with spare clips all around. I looked like a cross between a college coed and some sort of video game heroine.

  After a short fit of groaning pleasure filled screams, the water shut off. Vicki stepped out of the shower, walking up behind me naked with the other towel from the counter in her hands drying her hair. I watched her in the mirror as she rubbed the towel around her head. Her face was flushed with an incredibly pleased grin. She was positively glowing.

  “Well now, I haven’t seen you dress like that since the first time we dated years ago.”

  “Is it a bad mix?” I asked, afraid that I was going to be forced to change into something more feminine.

  “Actually the old Kieran dressed like that a lot in college. But here, you need to cover the guns in public. No sense in scaring the locals.” She reached into the coat area of the closet pulling out a leather style jacket, handing it to me. “Can I borrow some clothes?”

  “Yeah, help yourself to whatever fits.” I started to tell her they were all spider-silk, but I kept my mouth shut. The thought still freaked me out, sending a quick chill down my spine.

  Mary entered the closet cheerfully. “We have guests, your Sister and Detective Michaels are here. They have decided to join us for brunch, which by the way, is served.” She smiled, turned, and left.

  When did they get here? I never heard the doorbell.

  “Well hurry up and pick something to wear and let’s go eat.” I just realized that I was starving.

  Vicki picked out a pair of tight shorts and a t-shirt without underwear. My bras were simply too large for her, and she just grinned while shaking her head no at me when I offered her panties. Meanwhile, I put a few of the light sticks in the pockets of the jacket.

  We went to the dining room. Ren and Emmy were already eating. Mary had made homemade waffles from scratch with eggs, bacon, and sausage.

  Homemade. I never cooked anything that didn’t come out of a can or box, that went straight into the microwave. This is a switch. There was a lot of food on the table. When did she cook all this? I couldn’t have taken that long getting ready. Did I?

  “I didn’t know how hungry anyone was, so I figured it’s better to have leftovers than to go hungry because we didn’t have enough for everyone,” Mary said smiling over the spread she’d created on the diningroom table.

  “Who helped you get dressed? And who did your makeup?” Emmy questioned when she saw me.

  I put the jacket over the back of the chair as I sat down. “No one. Do I look that bad?”

  “No, actually Kieran wore that exact same outfit before. And, you did a fairly good job on the makeup too. A touch too thick, but not bad at all considering it was your first time.”

  I looked at Mary, she was dressed exactly as she was yesterday. Her face was brightened by her smile. The face looked young, no more than fifteen. Mary caught me staring at her and she blushed.

  “I’m sorry Mary, I was just wondering where you were last night. I thought you were going to move in up here? You didn’t change your mind did you?”

  “Oh no! I moved in this morning before you woke up. The girls threw me a party last night downstairs. Apparently it’s a really big deal to them when someone gets to move in upstairs. I just couldn’t say no.”

  We all sat down to eat. Even Mary joined us once the rest of us were settled. We filled each other in on what all they had missed. Naturally, Emmy wished she would’ve showed up earlier to catch Vicki in bed with me. Ren didn’t comment on that, but she did hide a knowing smile behind her coffee at us.

/>   “We have an appointment to meet with a representative of Targ’s today at one,” Ren said to change the subject, thankfully.

  “Okay, when do you want to check out the tattoo shop?” I asked.

  Emmy chimed in, “Tanaka can do that for you. He’s also already volunteered to scout out the Full Moon Hunt tonight for the white werewolf.”

  “Full Moon what?”

  Vicki was practically shoveling food in her mouth. She spoke quickly between bites without always swallowing to do so. “There is some private land in the mountains. The owner has deer and stuff brought in each month. He lets the shifters all use his land to hunt the deer. The younger shifters are controlled by the moon. When the full moon reaches the highest point in the sky, they shift, no choice. Once you’ve been a shifter for a while you can control it better. You still crave the hunt, or, at least your beast inside craves it. Some say that a shifter that never hunts will wither away and die. It’s bullshit of course. But anyway, that’s why I don’t have work today or tomorrow. Besides the hunt is fun.”

  Everyone had stopped eating to gawk at her.

  “Whaaat?” she asked gulping down that bite as she shrunk down in her chair.

  “Vicki, you haven’t been this open or happy for quite some time. It’s . . . nice,” Ren finally said breaking the silence that went with the stares.

  “Are you going to the hunt tonight?” I asked

  “Yes. I go every month just like all of the other shifters around town. And before any of you ask, no you can’t come. It’s for shifters only.”

  Emmy grabbed another waffle. “Tanaka knows where the hunt is. He swears that he can sneak in and look around. He’s good at sneaking around.”

  I turned to Vicki. “Please be careful tonight.”

  “Aw that’s sweet. You’re worried about me. But I do know how to take care of myself.”

  Chapter 20

  After brunch we all went different ways. Mary to her cleaning. Emmy back to the Archives. Vicki got a police escort back to her apartment. Then Ren and I were off to the Dark Towers, the high rise office building that Targ owned. It was the only building downtown that was completely black. Black marble framed the black glass all the way up to the black gargoyles perched on the corners of the building’s roof, staring down at the humans like guardians. Or predators.

  With all the crazy stuff I’ve seen the past few days I wouldn’t be surprised if the gargoyles were real living creatures. That thought’s no worse than the flesh eating zombies Ren told me about last night. I could just see it, the carved rocks coming alive and swooping down to snatch some unsuspecting businessman for a light snack.

  The thought brought an evil grin to my lips. Ren had her badge out on her neck chain as she walked. I hooked mine over my belt so that it covered the front left pocket of my excessively low jeans. I didn’t want a neck chain that could get in my way just then. Too many problems in such a short period of time had left me paranoid, but in a good way. The secretary at the front desk told us to take the main elevator to the top floor. Someone would meet us there to take us up the private elevator to Targ’s office.

  By the time it stopped at a number of floors on the way, it took ten minutes to ride the elevator to the top. Ren and I were the only ones going to the top. We rode the last five floors alone. The doors opened to an empty floor two stories high, with an elevator door on the opposite side of the enormous room. You could have a very large party in this room. We crossed towards the single private elevator.

  The private doors opened. Low and behold, the man himself Douglas Adams stepped through the doors. The rapist vampire from the video stood before us. Apparently Marsala wasn’t the only vampire that didn’t sleep the day away. Adams hesitated just long enough that we both drew guns on him. Then he took off running, straight out the side window. We were on the 104th floor and he willingly jumped out the window. Either he was confident he was immortal, or he was the dumbest man alive.

  “Fuck!” Ren was cursing as she looked out the broken window at the falling vampire.

  “I’ll get him!” I pushed her aside then took a swan dive out the broken window.

  “I HATE IT WHEN YOU DO THAT!!!” Ren yelled at me as I fell.

  The ground was coming up fast just falling. I pushed with my shields to gain ground on the vampire. I was just within reach when the clouds parted. Sunlight poured across the snowy city splashing us both in bright ultraviolet warmth. Smoke rose from the vampire’s exposed skin. He was quickly burning alive. I lunged at him, grabbing him around the waist. Then I poured everything I could into my shields, forcing a direction change. We crashed into the side of the black building, causing a shower of broken glass to rain down on the street below.

  The vampire stopped burning when he was out of the direct sunlight, but the burns he already had continued to smoke slowly. I got to my knees straddling the smoldering vamp. He reeked of charred flesh. I put the barrel of my gun against the back of his head.

  “Hands behind your back now!” I growled at him pushing the gun harder into the back of his head. I flipped the targeting laser on, burning him some more for just a second to prove I was serious.

  Attorneys and others were spread around us. We’d landed in the middle of their conference room. They all looked at us with horror on their faces.

  Or maybe it’s just a look of disgust from the way this guy reeks.

  He finally got his hands within reach. I used the silver handcuffs on him–following the procedure I’d watched on the police reality shows–thankful that I had thought to bring them. Once he was cuffed, I yanked him to his feet as he groaned for the first time. I kept the gun pressed in the back of his head, and held the cuffs with my other hand.

  “Sorry about this folks. Which way to the elevators?” I asked no one in particular.

  One of the older attorneys pointed out the door. “Take a right at the end of the hall.” His voice was shaking.

  I gave a nod. “Thanks.”

  I pushed my prisoner to the elevators. We’d landed on the third floor. A second longer falling, and we would’ve kissed the pavement hard enough they would’ve had to scrape us up with a squeegee. It was a long quiet ride up. No one wanted in the elevator with the still smoldering vampire. I couldn’t blame them. The smell was horrendous with the smoke quickly filling the tiny, enclosed space. I barely kept from losing my lunch by keeping the smell out with my shields.

  Ren was waiting for us at the top where I left her. A cloud of smoke preceded us out of the elevator. Her face turned sour at the smell.

  “What happened?” she asked covering her mouth and nose while she coughed and tried to fan the smoke away with her other hand.

  “Wouldn’t you know it. Forecast calls for more snow, and the damn sun starts shining.” I’d realized then that I was still on an adrenaline rush. Jumping head first out of a downtown high-rise will do that to you.

  “Did you read him his rights?”

  “What rights?” I asked with a shrug. According to Yuric I could kill Adams whenever I wanted to. No attorneys, no jury, no trial, just skip right to the execution.

  “Now let’s go see your boss.” I shoved the vampire across the room to the small private elevator. “Open it.”

  “Can’t. It’s controlled only by the upper level security. They have to open it,” he spat at me, then nodded his chin towards the security camera in the corner above the doors.

  I was angry. Angry and on an adrenaline rush. That tended to make me a smart-ass even before I switched bodies. “Well, let’s knock then.”

  I grabbed his head then slammed it face first into the elevator doors, then again and again. Blood smeared worse with each hit from his ever flattening nose. Ren stared at me with her jaw wide open from shock, but she never tried to stop me. On the fifth hit I heard the elevator cycling down. I dropped the vamp in a heap on the ground. He’d passed out about the third hit. Ren and I stepped back guns drawn. The elevator stopped. It seemed like an eternity bef
ore the doors opened. A security officer had his hands held up standing in the center of the elevator.

  “I believe you have an appointment. Please come up.” He stepped to the side keeping his hands up.

  I kicked Douglas into the elevator never taking my eyes or my gun off the guard. Ren followed me inside. The doors closed, and up we went. Both of us had guns on the guard. No more surprises today. The elevator stopped. Ren turned her gun to the opening doors. There were seven more guards in the room beyond. Each one of them had their hands up already. Ren moved into the room. I motioned the guard out with my gun, he moved without further prodding.

  “Would you like some help with your . . . prisoner?” one of the guards asked.

  I kicked Douglas into the room. “No thanks, he’s fine smoking and bleeding where he is. Where’s Ahmed Targ?”

  A smug looking thin man in a puke-green suit walked around the guards towards us. “Mr. Targ is currently indisposed at the moment. I am Greg, his personal assistant. How may I serve you this fine morning?”

  “You can serve me by bringing me Mr. Targ.” I tried to sound nice, honest I did.

  “I’m sorry that is not possible. We are well aware of the police’s limited jurisdiction in these matters. I’m afraid that your current threats and harassment of our staff is going to force me to cancel your appointment Detective. You know the way out.” He turned from us.

  That little son of a–

  “Greg was it?” Ren stepped forward. Her hand stretched out without her glove on. “I am sorry for my partners behavior. Jumping after suspects out of the hundred and forth floor tends to make her a little mouthy. Mr. Targ knows why I wanted this meeting. Please have him call my office if he wishes to give us any information.”

  “Of course.” He shook her hand.

  Ren barely kept from trembling as he touched her skin. She covered it with a light nod. Then pulled back abruptly. Her eyes were wide as she led me back to the elevator. I was nice and dragged in Douglas by his collar instead of kicking him again. The doors shut and we were on our way out. Back in the big room I wanted to ask her what was up. Instead, she already had her cell phone up calling for a pickup.