Jekyll & Hyde Inc.

“So how did it feel, when you finally got to take on the Frankensteins and their creatures?” said Daniel. “Was it everything you’d thought it would be?”

“I’d been trained to kill them, and I did,” said Tina. There wasn’t a scrap of emotion in her voice. “When I saw what they’d done to that hybrid, it wasn’t about a contest of equals anymore. It was about stopping something awful, and removing it from the world.”

She glanced at Daniel, and managed another brief smile. “Maybe we should have gone along with your plan, and beaten every single Frankenstein to death with our bare hands. That might have felt more satisfying. But somehow . . . I don’t think it would. In the end, it was more like putting down poison for rats. A necessary thing. I don’t know . . . Maybe I’ll enjoy killing the vampires more. Because they don’t pretend to be human.”

They walked some more, just strolling now, in no hurry to get anywhere. They had the night and the path all to themselves, and as much time as they needed to get things in order. Tina was still holding Daniel’s hand. He wasn’t sure if she realized that, and didn’t want to say anything that might make her feel self-conscious about it. But it did seem to him that he should take this opportunity, to try to encourage her to open up more. That it might help her, if she could talk more about her life. Daniel certainly wanted to hear more about it.

“Why did Edward train you personally? Does he often have . . . favorites?”

“Not as far as I know,” said Tina. “He doesn’t normally take a personal interest in anyone. We’re all just there to fight his private war for him.”

“He told me he had enough soldiers,” said Daniel. “That he needed warriors now, to finally bring down the Clans.”

“I suppose I should be grateful that he chose me,” said Tina. “But I’m really not. There’s something about Edward Hyde . . . ”

“I’m a Hyde, too,” said Daniel. “Is there something about me?”

She turned to look at him, and this time her smile deepened. “No. You’re nothing like Edward.”

“Well,” said Daniel. “That’s a relief.”

She laughed suddenly, gave his hand a squeeze, and then let go of it. She turned around and went striding back the way they’d come, moving so quickly Daniel had to break into a run to catch up. There was a definite bounce in Tina’s step, and her frown was gone.

“I’ve been trying to decide how I feel,” she said cheerfully. “Now all the Frankensteins are dead. And you know what? I feel alive! They’re dead because they deserved to be; and we’re alive because we chose to be. Nothing else matters.”

And that was all she had to say, until they got back to the waiting taxicab. Daniel took a quick look around, but there was no sign of the driver anywhere. Which was probably just as well. Tina pulled open the driver’s door, and then stopped abruptly. She turned to smile at Daniel.

“Would you like to come back to my place?”

Daniel grinned. “Since you’re asking so nicely, I’d love to.”

Tina grinned back at him, her eyes dancing, and then she turned quickly away and settled herself comfortably behind the steering wheel. Daniel went round to the other side, and sat down beside her.

“Are we stealing this cab?”

“Of course!” said Tina. “Because it’s here!”

She revved the engine, slammed it into gear, and sent the cab racing off down the street. Daniel laughed happily, and beat out a tattoo on the dashboard with both hands.

It was early in the morning, and the city sprawled before them like an open invitation. Tina put the hammer down, and everything else on the road hurried to get out of their way.

Some time and several near misses later, Tina brought the taxi to a halt and they both got out. The apartment building in front of Daniel was old-school impressive, with a lot of history behind it, right in the middle of a really select area. Rows of trees lined the quiet street, along with old-fashioned black-iron streetlamps that shed a pleasant glow over the scene. The kind of place where everyone knows your face, usually from the financial or the society pages. Not at all the kind of setting Daniel had expected for Tina Hyde.

She took hold of his hand again, and led him toward the front door. Daniel could feel the power in her grip, that could crush a brick to powder or rip out a monster’s throat. And the strength in his own hand, if he chose to use it. Something was building between them that felt dangerously explosive. Daniel didn’t feel nervous, or uncertain. It was going to happen, and they both knew it. But somehow Daniel also knew that it wasn’t going to be like anything he’d ever experienced before. Because Hydes did things differently.