Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

TANNER

T anner headed up the stairs to the private entrance. He'd thought about calling Rick and ordering something, but decided he'd rather not answer questions. He also wanted Melisandre to see that while Kodiak might be small, it had some outstanding restaurants. He stopped by his favorite Italian restaurant and picked up shrimp scampi with risotto, fettuccine alfredo, and spaghetti Bolognese. He figured the odds of her liking one or all of them were pretty good.

He knocked lightly and wasn't expecting her to fling open the door. "Italian? Do I smell Italian?"

"You do. This is from a local place here in town. The menu is always changing. They create it each day depending on what they can get locally, sustainably, and fresh. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I picked what I thought was safe."

"Is that shrimp scampi and risotto?"

"It is. I also have fettuccine alfredo and spaghetti Bolognese."

"Which is your favorite… oh god, come on in. I can't leave you standing out in the cold."

Tanner laughed and entered her apartment. "This place really is amazing. Does the fog hide the northern lights?"

"Only at first, but I can go out on the balcony, shift, and take off without being seen. Up above the fog, the aurora borealis is spectacular."

"That must be cool to fly above clouds."

"It is. I can take you some time, but only if you'll take me to walk between the worlds."

"Normally, I'd say no. It's too dangerous, but my guess is that in a fight between a reaper and a dragon, the dragon wins."

"The dragon wins, pretty much any time. So, reapers are real and not just some bogeyman?"

"Unfortunately, all too real. So do you want the scampi?"

"Any chance I can talk you into sharing them like a family meal?"

"Absolutely. I'll get the table set with the food, you choose beer or wine."

"With Italian, I have a really good red from Tuscany."

"Perfect."

They worked together, easily sharing the kitchen and Tanner making himself at home while she got wine glasses and uncorked the wine. "We'll need to let this breathe for a little bit."

"You'd know more about that than I would. I feel fancy if you don't just have to unscrew the top."

Melisandre laughed. "I've got some filtered water in the fridge; why don't you get us some and we can start while we wait for the wine."

"You got it."

They sat down and Melisandre tried a bit of everything. "This is so good," she said.

"I know. I think it really is some of the best in the world. Do you want to talk about what you found?"

"Not really," she said, getting up and bringing him the wine to pour before rolling her whiteboard over. Tanner arched an eyebrow. "I know, but there's something about going old school that helps me think and plot things out. How close to the chief are you?"

"Maybe closer than some, but not as close as others; why? You don't think he has anything to do with it, do you?"

"I don't know. I know I just met the guy, but I like him."

"So, what makes you think it's him."

"The pattern—two years ago there were some serious cutbacks in the department's budget, including the closing of a fire station where a number of the fires broke out."

"You think the chief started those fires?"

"I can't rule him out. He was pretty vocal in his opposition to the mayor's suggested budget cuts."

Tanner nodded. "Yeah, no love lost there. What about now?"

"Same thing. The mayor and city council are calling for cutbacks in the areas where the fires have hit hardest."

"But the fire today—it was outside the city." He looked at the map on the whiteboard. "And seems to be some kind of outlier not matching either grouping."

"I thought so at first, but I picked up the same trace elements of an accelerant that I found at the other fires."

"So why would the chief set the fire at the school. That's not one of the areas facing budget cuts."

"No, it's not. But the mayor's daughter was among the students. You were still inside when members of her entourage swept in and took her away."

Tanner shook his head. "I can't see the chief trying to kill all those people."

"I can't either," she said, reaching over to touch his arm. When she started to remove it, Tanner laid his hand over hers. "I think he's building up the fire department's positive image. I think he's trying to build public support for not only keeping their current budget but increasing it."

"Could be. He started pushing me forward from the first. I rose up through the ranks pretty quickly."

Melisandre nodded. "You're the perfect poster boy for the department. Strong, good looking, heroic. Don't get me wrong, you're all of those things, but most chiefs don't push their cheeky lieutenants; they garner the fame and glory for themselves."

"I wish it didn't but that makes some sense…" Tanner paused. "What is it?"

"I asked the computer to spit out a list of possible next targets and dates… there's one tonight. Not far from city hall."

"You cork the wine or whatever you do with the good stuff. I'll put the food in the fridge. We can take my truck…"

"No. My SUV. It's not as well-known as yours."

"Good thinking."

It didn't take long before they were headed down the stairs and to her SUV. Melisandre tossed him her keys. When he looked at her questioningly, she said, "You know Kodiak a lot better than I do." They got into the SUV, and Tanner looked at her emergency services banner. "I have a permit, and it's helpful."

They were able to find a place where they were nestled among some buildings and other vehicles. The night was cold, so Tanner kept the engine running. Its steady hum and the occasional crackle of the scanner filled the confined space of the SUV. Tanner shifted in his seat, glancing over at Melisandre, who was peering through binoculars at the building across the street. The cold Alaskan night wrapped around them, the windows fogging slightly from their breath.

"Anything yet?" Tanner asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Nothing," Melisandre replied, lowering the binoculars to rub her tired eyes. "Feels like we've been here forever."

Tanner looked at his watch and grinned. "Forever must mean a different length of time for dragons rather than hellhounds and humans."

"We bore easily," she quipped.

Drumming his fingers on the dashboard, he said, "Just another night in Kodiak, huh?"

Before Melisandre could respond, a sudden movement caught her eye. She snapped the binoculars back up, focusing intently. "Hold on. I think we've got something."

Tanner leaned forward, squinting through the windshield and grabbing a second set of binoculars. A shadowy figure emerged from the alley, moving swiftly toward the building they were watching. The figure was cloaked in darkness, barely discernible against the dimly lit street.

"Is that our guy?" Tanner's heart rate quickened.

"Only one way to find out," Melisandre said, her tone tense.

She reached for the radio but stopped when Tanner laid his hand on hers. "We're on our own. I think it's too early to involve anyone else."

The almost spectral figure paused at the entrance, looking around cautiously. Tanner's breath caught in his throat as he watched the person pull something from their coat—a small canister. The figure quickly set to work, attaching the canister to the door.

"He's rigging it," Tanner hissed. "We need to move."

Melisandre nodded, her expression grim. "Let's go."

They both burst out of the SUV, sprinting toward the building. Not having guns to pull might have been an issue for a couple of humans, but a hellhound and a dragon were lethal without the aid of weapons. The figure glanced up, startled, and took off running the moment he or she saw them. Tanner and Melisandre gave chase, their footsteps echoing through the streets as they ran from the municipal building towards the harbor.

The suspect darted down a narrow alley, and they followed, their breath forming clouds in the frigid air. Tanner pushed himself to keep up, Melisandre right beside him. The chase led them through the maze-like streets of Kodiak, past shuttered shops and darkened homes. Each footstep took them closer to the harbor, which made no sense as there would be no escape.

As they rounded a corner, the figure suddenly vaulted over a chain-link fence into one of the alleys that led to another street, headed toward the dock. Tanner and Melisandre skidded to a halt, exchanging a quick glance. Without hesitation, they scaled the fence, landing awkwardly on the other side.

The figure was getting away. Tanner's frustration mounted as they continued the pursuit, their quarry always just out of reach. They emerged onto the main seawall that fronted the marina, the figure weaving through coiled ropes, anchors, freezers, and other boat paraphernalia with an agility that belied the bulk of its coat.

"He's fast," Tanner muttered, gritting his teeth.

"But we're faster," Melisandre shot back, determination gleaming in her eyes.

They pushed harder, closing the distance inch by inch. The figure glanced over its shoulder, panic evident in its movements. In a desperate bid to escape, the suspect veered into a side street, heading towards the docks.

Tanner's pulse raced as the figure turned sharply and ran down a narrow dock. The cold, salty air stung Tanner's face, but he ignored it, focused solely on catching their target. The figure stumbled, losing its balance for a split second before the night split into a contained explosion all around it and from the fire emerged a large bird with wings that were made of shards of ice instead of feathers. Its tail resembled three long stalactite formations with the middle of the trio being the longest. It flapped its wings, gaining distance and altitude as it pulled away from the dock and its pursuers.

Next to him, a blazing mist with shards of fire and ice began to swirl around Melisandre. Tanner reached into the mist and pulled her out.

"What are you doing? You're letting him get away," she snarled.

"I'm not letting you go after him by yourself."

"Last time I checked, you weren't the boss of me."

"Then you haven't checked lately. That bird—what the hell was that anyway, some kind of albatross?"

"Close. An ice phoenix. They were supposed to have died out a long time ago. But it's a freaking bird, Tanner; I'm a dragon. I'm going after it."

He still had hold of her upper arm. "The hell you are. It's too far gone now…"

"Because you stopped me. What the hell were you thinking?"

He didn't want to fight, and he sure as hell didn't want to have this fight at this moment, but it would seem he didn't have much choice. What he did have a choice about was where they had the fight. She wanted to walk between the worlds? Now, seemed as good a time as any.

Closing his eyes, Tanner shimmered, dragging a reluctant Melisandre into the dark corridors of the In-Between where there was no discernible light source. There was only an eerie glow that seemed to light the walls from within. Tanner sprinted towards his own place, as he knew the reapers could not follow them there. Melisandre was not cooperating, but he didn't care. Their breath came in ragged gasps as they made their way back toward the land of the living.

Behind them, a figure moved with unnatural grace—a reaper, its dark gray monk's robe billowing like smoke as it pursued them.

Melisandre risked a glance over her shoulder, her eyes widening in fear. "Shit! That thing is gaining on us," she shouted, pushing for them to run faster.

Tanner's face was set in grim determination—at least he was no longer having to drag her. "Keep moving!"

A glance behind them showed Tanner the reaper's hollow eyes seeming to pierce through the darkness, locking onto its prey with an unrelenting focus. It glided over the ground effortlessly, closing the distance with each passing second. The reaper's low, guttural hiss echoed through the passageways, sending chills down their spines.

"We can't stay here," Tanner whispered. "We'll be safe at my place."

Melisandre nodded, her eyes scanning the dimly lit interior. Tanner led her through what seemed to be a maze of pathways, their footsteps echoing in the hollow space of the In-Between. The reaper's hiss grew louder, closer, the sound reverberating off the walls as it closed the distance between them, as if it could sense their fear.

Tanner could sense the exit through which he could pull Melisandre to safety. He could feel it, a glimmer of hope in the dead darkness of the world in between that of the living and that of the dead. They pushed themselves to the limit, their muscles screaming in protest. The reaper's hissing filled the air, a haunting symphony of death.

They burst into Tanner's studio, landing on the floor, the warm air a stark contrast to the oppressive cold of the In-Between. Tanner glanced back, relief flooding through him as he saw the reaper falter, unable to cross the threshold into the land of the living.