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The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 216 из 234He hadanother big Magnum in his hand.
"You buy those by the caseload?" I asked.
"I liked your threat on the phone. It got me hot."
I took a step forward, hadn't meant to. "Please," Aikensen said. He was pointing the big gun at my chest. Titus was pointing at Richard. The two men in the chairs had guns out now, too. One big happy party.
Edward was very still at my back. I could almost feel him weighing the odds. A bolt action on a rifle shot back behind us. We all jumped, even Edward. Another man was behind us in the door. His solid grey hair was balding. The grey man had a rifle in his hands, pointed at Edward's head. There wouldn't be enough left to pick up in a baggie.
"Hands up, y'all."
We put our hands up. What else could we do?
"Lace your fingers atop your head, ' Titus said.
Edward and I did it like we'd done it before. Richard was slower.
"Now, wolfman, or I will drop you where you stand, and your little girlfriend might get all shot up in the bargain."
Richard laced his fingers. "Kaspar, what's going on?"
Kaspar was sitting on the couch, no, reclining was the word. He looked comfortable, happy as a well-fed cat. . er, swan.
"These gentlemen here have paid a small fortune to hunt lycanthropes. I supply them prey and a place to hunt."
"Titus and Aikensen make sure that no one finds out, right?"
"I told you I did a little hunting, Ms. Blake," Titus said.
"The dead man one of your hunters?"
His eyes flicked, not exactly looking away but flinching. "Yes, Ms. Blake, he was."
I looked at the two men with their guns out. I didn't turn around to see Grey Hair at the door. "You three think that hurting shapeshifters is worth dying over?"
The dark-haired one looked at me from behind his round glasses. His eyes were distant, calm. If it bothered him to be pointing a gun at fellow human beings, it didn't show.
The bearded man's eyes flicked around the room, never settling on anything. He wasn't having a good time.
"Why didn't you and Aikensen clean up the mess before Holmes and her partner saw the body?"
"We were out hunting werewolf," Aikensen said.
"Kaspar, we're your people," Richard said.
"No," Kaspar said. He stood. "You aren't. I am not a lycanthrope. I'm not even an inherited condition. I was cursed by a witch so long ago that I don't care to remember how long."
"Is that supposed to make us feel sorry for you?" I asked.
"No. In fact, I don't suppose I have to explain myself.
"You buy those by the caseload?" I asked.
"I liked your threat on the phone. It got me hot."
I took a step forward, hadn't meant to. "Please," Aikensen said. He was pointing the big gun at my chest. Titus was pointing at Richard. The two men in the chairs had guns out now, too. One big happy party.
Edward was very still at my back. I could almost feel him weighing the odds. A bolt action on a rifle shot back behind us. We all jumped, even Edward. Another man was behind us in the door. His solid grey hair was balding. The grey man had a rifle in his hands, pointed at Edward's head. There wouldn't be enough left to pick up in a baggie.
"Hands up, y'all."
We put our hands up. What else could we do?
"Lace your fingers atop your head, ' Titus said.
Edward and I did it like we'd done it before. Richard was slower.
"Now, wolfman, or I will drop you where you stand, and your little girlfriend might get all shot up in the bargain."
Richard laced his fingers. "Kaspar, what's going on?"
Kaspar was sitting on the couch, no, reclining was the word. He looked comfortable, happy as a well-fed cat. . er, swan.
"These gentlemen here have paid a small fortune to hunt lycanthropes. I supply them prey and a place to hunt."
"Titus and Aikensen make sure that no one finds out, right?"
"I told you I did a little hunting, Ms. Blake," Titus said.
"The dead man one of your hunters?"
His eyes flicked, not exactly looking away but flinching. "Yes, Ms. Blake, he was."
I looked at the two men with their guns out. I didn't turn around to see Grey Hair at the door. "You three think that hurting shapeshifters is worth dying over?"
The dark-haired one looked at me from behind his round glasses. His eyes were distant, calm. If it bothered him to be pointing a gun at fellow human beings, it didn't show.
The bearded man's eyes flicked around the room, never settling on anything. He wasn't having a good time.
"Why didn't you and Aikensen clean up the mess before Holmes and her partner saw the body?"
"We were out hunting werewolf," Aikensen said.
"Kaspar, we're your people," Richard said.
"No," Kaspar said. He stood. "You aren't. I am not a lycanthrope. I'm not even an inherited condition. I was cursed by a witch so long ago that I don't care to remember how long."
"Is that supposed to make us feel sorry for you?" I asked.
"No. In fact, I don't suppose I have to explain myself.