Shifters (Feline english version)

Chapter 23

I obviously could not rest or even relax. Too many worries and questions were running through my head. How amazing that was! Worth called Jude two hours later to tell us where to meet him. It was located to the north of the city, in an intertwining of warehouses of identical appearance, located on the banks of the Detroit River.

We went there in a deathly silence. We had not exchanged a word and barely a glance since the inspector left. There was a kind of muted accusation between us; no need to be a seer to know that Jude was mad at me for suggesting this solution and probably even more mad at himself for accepting it. Although the effects of the blood exchange seem to be gradually dissipating, I didn't think we would be able to overcome that. Our partnership was already more than complicated, and it was becoming totally unbearable. As soon as this whole thing was over, we would each go our separate ways. This thought tightened my heart. I was perfectly aware that it was stupid, but... still.

A car was waiting for us and Worth got out before Jude had even turned off the engine. Another man accompanied him, he was not very tall and, although he was young, he was already getting bald, not to mention his belly was starting to go over his belt. The inspector introduced him as Agent Paris, specialized in surveillance and monitoring of all kinds. He wasn't very talkative but effective, after all that's all we asked him to do.

He placed an almost invisible earpiece in my right ear and an equally microscopic microphone on the back of my T-shirt collar. Then he implanted me with a kind of microchip under my skin which, as he informed me, was a tracking device that would allow them to follow me. He implanted it in the hollow of my knee, because according to him it was a place they wouldn't check. When he implanted the device, I discovered I could be quite creative in my cursing, when in pain. It hurt like hell!

Once all the preparations had been made and the equipment checked and rechecked, I limped painfully to Jude's car in the hope that the pain and numbness would soon fade away. Then he led me, always in silence, to my apartment where he was supposed to drop me off. We then had to fake an argument, to make potential lookouts believe that I would be alone for a while. I didn't think we'd have much trouble with this last part of the plan. Jude stopped with brutality and the most effective screeching of tires along the sidewalk right in front of my building. He leaned over me so that he could open my door with his right hand and did so with such force that the angle hit the ground in a rough sheet metal sound.

- 'So that's how it is?' I shouted, outraged. 'Now that you've got what you wanted, you throw me away like an old sock! What about your part of the deal, then? You were supposed to help me find my friend.'

I tried to be as desperate and miserable as possible, which given my current thoughts was not an overly complicated thing to do.

- 'Thank you for your help,' Jude replied in his most beautiful sociopathic voice. 'Now get out of my car.'

I struggled with my seat belt with trembling hands and reluctantly pulled myself out of the vehicle. Once on the sidewalk, I had to take a small step back to avoid hitting the door, which Jude closed as violently as he had opened it.

- 'I hope we'll never have to meet again.'

And on these charming words, he started off in a hurry, leaving me all weeping and trembling on the sidewalk.

That point had been subject to debate, because I had insisted that I would not normally behave in this way. I'd rather be the kind of person who's raging and running after the car than whining on a sidewalk. Nevertheless, Jude and Worth thought I should look as vulnerable and fragile as possible, because if they thought I was helpless, they might be less inclined to use the strong method to capture me. If that was their intention. Otherwise, combative or not, I wouldn't live long without Jude to take the bullets and the blows for me. Thinking about him left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. We had not rehearsed what we had to say to each other to make it seem as natural and spontaneous as possible. On the other hand, his last sentence bothered me. He didn't have to say it, since I had already gotten out of the car. So had he done it to accentuate the dramatic effect or because he really meant it and wanted to send me a message? After all, now that Worth was watching me with a few trusted men, he was no longer really needed. I was still hoping he'd stay, just in case. But yes, of course he would stay: even if it wasn't for me, he would do it for Aria.