Ashes to Ashes

  Ashes to Ashes

  A Furred, Feathered, and Fanged novelette

  By J. R. Burnett

  Copyright 2015 J. R. Burnett

  Smashwords Edition

  Cover designed by Deranged Doctor Design

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  Chapter 1

  Alex wrinkled his nose as warm air tainted with the smell of rotten eggs washed over his face. Brimstone. Very few things in the arcane community produced brimstone and none of them were good. He could only think of one that required animal control.

  Red embers still glowed along smoldering pieces of barn wood. Alex weaved his way through the hot spots following a young, fluorescent clad man. The words ‘Arson Investigation’ were printed in red block letters across the back of the bright jacket.

  As they stepped into a large open room, Alex lifted his flashlight to the sky visible through the structure’s destroyed roof. One entire wall had been reduced to nothing more than a pile of grey ash and silver moonlight leaked in through the resulting gap. They were at the very edge of the Agency's jurisdiction, far away from the hazy light that perpetually surrounded Tulsa proper. The night sky shone bright with stars and thin wisps of smoke, ephemeral in the beam of light, drifted upwards to join with the Milky Way. Alex wished he'd called Jamie before he left or at least woken up Mike. It would have been nice to have one of his partners out here with him. You never knew when an extra pair of hands—or teeth—could prove useful.

  Water dripped somewhere, the steady drip, drop loud in the still night. Ash tickled at his nose and Alex tried to suppress a sneeze. The night was too quiet. Not a cricket sang. No owls hooted in the night as they hunted. Alex shivered, feeling his heart speed up in his chest. Surely it was the result of the fire. The heat and flames, the lingering smoke, and all the firemen tromping through the area in the past twenty-four hours had upset the balance of the local ecosystem. That was all. His heart didn't slow.

  "What do you think?” the man asked.

  Alex lowered his flashlight from the heavens and swept it around the room. Shadows danced as the beam of light fell on countless cages scattered across the floor. Alex prodded at one with his foot. Heavy metal rebar had been welded together to form the enclosure and the door had once been secured with a stout padlock, now cut and hanging useless from the door.

  Alex worked his way through the room. Some of the cages were massive—big enough to hold twenty people…twenty giants given their height. Others were tiny—more appropriately sized for rats or mice. He tripped over a chain, each link the size of his fist. Everything was covered with a thick layer of black soot that even the water from the fire crew had failed to wash away. The area stunk of sulfur.

  “Sex trafficking is the most popular theory around the office,” the man said, his voice echoing slightly in the space. “Oklahoma City is down the road. A lot of stuff goes through there.”

  “Not exactly my department,” Alex said. “You called me in the middle of the night, Chris. Not dispatch. Not the Captain. You called me personally. This is the third major fire this month.”

  “Tell me about it. I’m racking up overtime.” Silence fell between them for a moment and Alex heard Chris take a deep breath somewhere behind him. “My dad took me to the Sanctuary in Wales when I was little,” Chris said. “You don't forget that smell."

  Chapter 2

  Mike scratched obsessively at the collar round his neck with a back leg. Alex jerked on the leash and Mike paused for a second. “Quit that,” Alex said. "It isn’t my fault there's a leash law. You could at least pretend to be a dog in public." A low growl rumbled deep in Mike's throat.

  Alex ignored him, pounding on the door again. What the hell was taking Jamie so long? He'd called ahead this time. Alex lifted his hand to knock again and the door swung open.

  "It isn't even eight o'clock, Alex," Jamie said, her voice a bit sharper than he was used to. "You said eight and you're always at least fifteen minutes late. What's got your feathers so ruffled this morning?"

  "Sorry," Alex said, lowering his hand. "It's just...." The words faltered as his eyes drifted south. He tried not to think about how her jeans clung to her hips or how her shirt was just a bit too tight across the top.

  Jamie's perpetual smile faltered. "Is there something wrong?" she asked, glancing down at her outfit. "You said street clothes. Actually, you said 'slightly irreputable' street clothes. I had to dig through my closet."

  Alex’s face felt hot all of a sudden and he forced his eyes back to Jamie’s face. "No, it's perfect. Sorry."

  Jamie's smile returned. "Quit apologizing. Give me a second to grab my stuff." Jamie disappeared back into the house.

  Alex glanced down at Mike, who had quit bothering at his collar and was grinning instead, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth and his eyes bright. "Don't look at me like that," Alex said. "You thought it too."

  Mike barked and went back to scratching at his collar.

  "So what's on the agenda for today?" Jamie asked as they climbed into the truck. "I thought we were running gremlin traps."

  "There's been a change of plans."

  "Something fun?"

  Alex shook his head. Jamie's idea of fun wasn't exactly the same as most people’s. That was probably why she'd managed to stick it out in animal control with the two of them so far.

  "I don't know if that's the word I'd use."

  “What world would you use, then?” Jamie asked.

  “Dangerous?” he offered. “Clandestine, maybe?”

  Mike pulled back his lips to show off his teeth and clicked his jaws together a few times.

  Alex nodded in agreement. “Bitey is also an appropriate word.”

  “I like fun better,” Jamie said.

  “Don’t we all.” Alex turned the truck down a narrow alley of broken, uneven pavement and parked.

  "Nice section of town," Jamie said, squeezing her way between the truck and the grimy brick wall of an abandoned building.

  Alex glanced down at his watch. "On a good note, most of the hoodlums aren't awake yet." He leaned across the seat and grabbed a gun from the glove box, tucking it into the waistband of his pants and pulling his shirt down over it. It left an obvious bulge, but that seemed to considered a fashion statement in these parts and it would raise less suspicion there than in a holster. "Are you armed?"

  Jamie patted the purse slung over her shoulder. "You think I'd dress like this and not be?"

  "Stay with the truck, would you?" Alex asked, glancing back at Mike.

  Mike cocked his head to one side as if considering the suggestion, then pushed past him, jumping out of the truck. Damn wolf never listened. Alex saw him duck behind a discarded couch and he was gone.

  "So is our miscreant going to be up?" Jamie asked as they headed in the opposite direction from Mike.

  "Should be."

  Yellowed newsprint, barely legible through the dirty glass, covered the shop’s windows. Shiny silver duct tape crisscrossed the window over huge cracks in the glass. The buildings on either side had opted for particle board. Alex reached for the doorknob.

  "Are you sure this is the right place?" Jamie asked.

  "Yep." A bell jingled in the back of the building as Alex pushed the door open. He couldn't blame Jamie for being nervous. Their first case together had ended less than ideally in a place much like this.

/>   "Be right with you," someone said from deep within the dim shop, their words clipped and cadenced.

  The space was narrow and cramped. Mismatched and unlabeled bottles, thick with dust, lined shelves pieced together from scrap wood and cinderblocks. Crates filled the floor space forming an erratic labyrinth that Alex made his way through towards the back of the building.

  "How can I help you?" A petite Asian man ducked through a faded green curtain into the main portion of the shop. He stopped as soon as he saw them, his eyes wide.

  Alex reached for his gun, not certain whether the man would fight or flee. The man turned and bolted back behind the curtain. Shit. Alex kicked over a crate, spilling some sort of dried root across the floor, as he hurried after him. He could hear Jamie wrecking nearly as much havoc as she worked her way through the maze of goods.

  Alex pushed his way into the back storeroom, coughing as a cloud of musty dust rose off the heavy fabric of the curtain. The man hadn't gotten far. He stood at the back door to the building, frozen. Mike was on the other side of the threshold, hackles raised and teeth bared.

  The man turned, smiling when he saw Alex. "Sorry, Alex, I didn’t realize it was you. It’s been a long time."

  "Not long enough," Alex said.

  The man glanced over his shoulder at Mike, who continued to stand his ground. "I see you’re still furry, Mike."

  "Don't piss off the wolf," Alex said. "Especially when you have your back to him."

  The man’s smile widened as Jamie made her way into the storeroom. “Who is this lovely lady?” he asked. “Surely she isn’t hanging around with you two.”

  Alex ignored him, turning to Jamie instead. "May I introduce Mr. Huang. He's a...."

  "Purveyor of powerful ancient remedies and the finest of spell casting supplies.” Mr. Huang stepped forward and took one of Jamie’s hands in his, raising it to his lips. “You won't find better quality or a bigger selection anywhere else in the state."

  Alex rolled his eyes. He gave Jamie props for not punching the guy. "Enough with the self-promotion."

  "What can I help you with?" Huang asked, still grinning at Jamie.

  "A little bird told me that you might have some contraband," Alex said.

  That got his attention. Huang turned to look at him. The grin was gone. "Nothing here violates any of the treaties."

  Alex let his eyes linger on several long, spiral shaped pieces of ivory stacked on one of the shelves lining the room—their smooth, cream color flecked with veins of pastel pink and blue.

  "It’s not what you think. It’s elephant. I swear," Huang insisted. His words came quickly now and sweat had started to soak through the armpits of his shirt.

  "I'm here for something a bit more...exotic," Alex said. "Something more on the scaly side."

  "I know a guy with a basilisk."

  Mike growled and took a couple steps into the room. Huang flinched, his eyes darting back and forth between the open back door and the curtain that led to the front of the shop. Alex waited. Mike could be persuasive when he wanted.

  “You know…,” Huang started, words failing him.

  Alex nodded. "Where are they?"

  "I don’t know." Beads of sweat had broken out along the man's brow. "Really, I don’t. They aren’t mine. I wouldn’t dare…. I prefer to stay...not crispy."

  Mike's teeth shone white even in the poor light.

  Huang's legs shook so hard that he had to grab one of the shelving units to keep from collapsing. "But I know where they might be," he said, choking on the words. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper.

  Alex reached out and took it from him, cringing as the slightly damp paper touched his skin. The scrap had been torn from the edge of a piece of notebook paper and deep creases marked where it had been folded many times. Two lines of numbers had been written in red on one side, the ink blurring from the moisture. Coordinates. Alex folded the paper and stuck it in his pocket.

  “When?”

  “Tonight.” The word was barely audible even in the quiet storeroom. Glancing over his shoulder at Mike one last time, Huang leaned forward. “You know,” he whispered, “if you ever get tired of him…Shifter pelts bring a premium.”

  "We'll keep that in mind." Alex nodded towards his four-legged partner. "Won't we, Mike?" Mike's bark echoed through the enclosed space. Alex gathered up the pieces of ivory from the shelves. "I don't have time for you today, Huang. Consider this a warning."

  “That’s it?” Jamie asked as they made their way back through the front of the store. “What now?”

  “Now we go get ourselves a dragon.”

  Chapter 3

  "Can I get you anything?" Alex asked Jamie as he laid her jacket on the hallway table. Dressed in slacks and a blouse, she couldn't have looked more different than she had this morning, though no less striking.

  "No thanks." Jamie sat down on the couch and fiddled with the strap on one of her shoes.

  Alex grimaced when he saw where she had chosen to sit. "Probably a little late now, but that's Mike's favorite spot."

  Jamie jumped up, grey hair clinging to her black dress pants. She brushed her leg with one hand, the stubborn hairs refusing to budge. "Where is he?"

  "Pouting in the backyard."

  "Figures."

  Alex shrugged, picking up his cell phone and adding it to the pocket of his button down shirt. "He'd be more of a liability than anything and he knows that. Doesn’t mean he has to like it though.”

  "You ever been to something like this before?" Jamie asked.

  "More often than I’d like. Trade in magical creatures is a big business."

  "Do people keep them as pets?"

  "Sometimes," Alex said. "Though more commonly it's the parts they're after. Huang wasn’t kidding about Mike’s pelt. The unicorn horns I took from him today would probably fetch ten thousand a pound on the black market."

  "Gross." Jamie crossed the room to a large cage against the wall. "I didn't realize you had a bird." She lifted the sheet that covered the enclosure and peaked inside. "It looks kinda sick."

  Alex took the sheet from her and settled it back into place. "She's old."

  "Don’t you think we’re a bit overdressed?" Jamie asked, stepping back from the cage. "I mean, if it's going to be more people like Mr. Huang...."

  "There will be plenty of dealers there, but they have dragons…. That means a lot of money and high class clientele. The most potent spells for fame, fortune, and power call for bits of dragon…and dragon essences are used as cures for everything from the common cold to erectile dysfunction," Alex said. He ran a roller of sticky paper over his sports jacket, removing a handful of grey hairs, then offered it to Jamie to de-hair her pants. "We need to look like we have enough money to belong, but not so much as to attract attention. Ready?"

  * * *

  The metal building sat far enough back from the gravel road to pass unnoticed by most. Plain and unmarked, the building could have held most anything--farm equipment, hay, antique furniture.... Dragons wouldn't have been anyone's first guess.

  Alex guided Jamie's car through the gate and into the pasture, making sure to stick to the tire tracks pressed into the grass by those that had arrived earlier. It wouldn't take a very big rock to spell disaster for the tiny Prius. Countless vehicles ranging from old beat up farm trucks with rusted stock racks to sleek sports cars that would make any car aficionado jealous had been parked in haphazard rows along the back of the building. Alex picked a spot as close to the pasture gate as possible.

  "Planning on a quick exit?" Jamie asked.

  "Better safe than sorry."

  Conversation hummed inside the building as a crowd of people made their way through rows of tables and cages. Jamie stopped at a booth just inside the door and picked something up from an overflowing basket. “It’s like a flea market.”

  Alex tapped a glass aquarium and small flecks of purple bounced around in terror. “With real fleas.”

 
"From a sand worm," a woman sitting behind the table said. She leveraged herself up from a tilted folding chair, the metal creaking in protest. "Three dollars a gram. I can kill 'em for you if you'd like."

  "No thanks." Alex took the object from Jamie and replaced it in the basket with the others. "Hooves and horns from fey cattle. It's probably best if you don't touch things."

  "That's right, honey," the woman said, her voice sickly sweet. "You break it, you bought it."

  Alex saw Jamie tense and he grabbed her arm, steering her away from the table before she did something they'd both regret. "Don't give her the satisfaction," Alex whispered. They weaved their way through the tables towards several large tarps that had been strung up across the center of the building. A group of people had gathered at one end, fidgeting nervously. The air temperature noticeably increased as they got closer.

  "Got you in the hottest part of the building," he said to the elderly gentleman that stood inside the last booth. The man had a yellow bandana in his hand and dabbed at his brow periodically.

  "Special vendor tonight," the man said.

  "So I hear."

  The man waved his bandana towards the mass of people in the building. "A bit inconvenient, but it brought out the crowds. Good for business, I suppose."

  "Assuming the special vendor's merchandise doesn't roast you first." Alex ran his fingers along a stack of two foot long red and white speckled feathers piled up on the table.

  "You have nice taste,” the old man said. “She was nearly 300 years old as far as I can tell."

  Alex picked up one of the feathers from the pile and the red flashed metallic in the light. He shook his head. "Not that old."

  "Maybe...maybe.... Only a grand for the lot."

  "You have her beak and talons too?"

  "Of course. They're extra, though."

  "They're included or no deal."