Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(54)

“Where’s my bag?” His eyebrows waggled over warm eyes full of teasing.

She’d normally have a McHappy sack of hamburger, fries and water to drink, but Grady could be a tough negotiator when it came to dealing intel. His idea of a happy sack included a fifth of Old Forester. “I brought your favorite.”

At that, his keen eyes focused on the bag she gripped, and he wiped his mouth with his hand, alcoholic hunger glazing his eyes. “What do you want?”

Any other time she’d indulge him and negotiate, but she couldn’t shake with Grady, even if he swore he hadn’t touched a Langau. She’d broken rules for the old ghoul once and shaken longer than allowed so that he could see his granddaughter get married. That had resulted in his being able to take corporeal form on his own sometimes, and for extended periods.

Seeing him translucent now stirred her pot of worry. “Can you take solid form?”

“Nah. Did it too much yesterday and ain’t been able to turn solid since. Just zoned out.”

Maybe that meant he hadn’t been infected. “So you haven’t shaken hands with anyone?”

“No, siree. I’m what you’d call primed and ready. I’ll give you a deal.” He stuck out his hand. “Shake and you git three questions. Kind of like a genie but you have the bottle.” He grinned at his pun.

“Can’t, Grady.”

His face fell. “Why not?”

“There’s an infection going around. Nightstalkers have been catching it and passing it along. VIPER has ordered no contact with Nightstalkers until they get it contained.”

“Are you kiddin’ me?” He scowled and stomped around. Silent stomping.

“I’m sorry. I’ll leave the bottle hidden for you, but I need information.”

“Nuh-uh. Not givin’ up a word without a handshake.”

He could be ornerier than a junkyard dog. “This is important, Grady.”

“So is gittin’ my handshake. It’s the only thing important in my world. Why you stink?”

“Insulting me will cost you this bottle.” She waved the brown bag and bottle.

He jutted out his chin with his meanest look. “You tryin’ to make me mad?”

“No. I’m trying to get some help.”

“How come you got a dead smell about you?”

Now she understood. Evalle slid her sleeve up. “It’s probably this bone.”

Grady backed away, looking at her like she’d shown him a two-headed demon. “You got a Volonte attached to your body? Are you crazy? Get rid of that nasty thing.”

“I’d like to, but it’s locked on my arm. That’s why I need your help.”

He grumbled and floated a little farther away.

“Get over here and stop floating around.”

“Don’t be yellin’ at me,” he snapped, but he did move close again.

She grabbed her head. “Sorry. I can’t help it. This stupid bone takes whatever I’m feeling and amplifies that emotion or desire.”

“Then you better stay away from that Injun. I seen the way you been lookin’ at him.”

She locked her jaw to keep from telling Grady, again, not to call Storm an Injun or remind him that her relationships were none of his nosy business. When she could talk without shouting, she asked, “Do you know anything about the Achilles Beast Championship?”

His eyes went to the bracelet around her arm. “Nah.”

This was a waste of time. “Guess you can’t help with the infection either.”

“That I can help with.”

“Really? How?”

The old coot just stared at her. Evalle waved the bottle in front of him.

He scowled. “Saw a Nightstalker fadin’ in and out. She was jerkin’ back and forth.”

A sick ghoul. “Where is she? Did you see anything else that was suspicious? Storm says the host that’s infecting the Nightstalkers is something called a Langau.”

“If a lawn-gal is a demon livin’ in a dead body, then I know where she is.”

Tzader was going to love this. He’d texted Evalle with a message that Storm had contacted him and Tzader had assigned Beladors to support Storm. All info had to be reported to Storm.

“?’Bout two blocks over that way.” Grady pointed his thumb over his shoulder toward the south. “Brunette walkin’ around all sexy lookin’ in a red dress and heels. You ain’t gonna miss her. She’s moseyin’ around, callin’ out for Nightstalkers.”

That was close by. How soon could Tzader get someone down here?

Grady wasn’t done. “Saw someone else sneakin’ around the same area.”

“Who?”

“Your Rambo buddy.”

Isak Nyght. She and Isak had an odd relationship. After she’d missed several commitments with Isak, his black ops team had kidnapped her to bring her to a cozy dinner with their boss. He’d kissed her a couple times, too. Once in view of Storm.

That hadn’t gone well at all.

Isak was the rare human who knew nonhumans existed, and he built weapons that killed nonhumans. He would blast the Langau into a million pieces with his demon blaster, and VIPER needed that antidote.

Evalle walked over to the wall along the right-of-way for the interstate and stuffed the bottle into a cubbyhole, telling Grady, “It should be safe until you can get to it.”