The poor saps, Sam thought. Americans just hadn't figured on the Meduse. No one would throw out the welcome mat for a creature like Nero.
Glancing over at Alex, who wore a light wind-breaker, Sam wondered why the cold didn't bother him. She herself was dressed in a Columbo-like trench coat and fur-lined cap, and she was shivering, but he seemed oblivious to the cold ocean gusts all around.
Feeling Sam's eyes on him, he smiled. "She's something else," he remarked, his voice fraught with emotion as he glanced up at the grand old dame.
Sharing the moment, she smiled back. "She always gets to people, no matter their race, color or species—and no matter how many times you see her up close and personal." In the car on the way over, Sam had found out that this was Alex's second time to view the Statue. "America is quite a country."
"I guess," Alex agreed. "But I still miss Russia."
Sam smiled sympathetically. "At least your homeland is gorgon-free," she remarked.
"Yeah. Nic found out that there weren't any stonings there. Just in Italy, about a month ago. At least they think those two missing shapeshifters from Rome met with foul play, but with so many statues there, it's hard to tell."
"Well, there were no reported stonings on the West Coast, so I think we are best off assuming that the gorgon was hibernating around Rome somewhere. And for whatever reason, he decided to migrate here." Glancing back up at the Statue of Liberty, she added, "Maybe he couldn't resist the lure of this monument."
Alex shrugged. "In a crazy way, that makes perfect sense. Nero's a huge womanizer, so why wouldn't he carry a torch for the biggest woman in the world?" Observing the thin crowd outside the monument, he noted, "Nothing happening right now, though."
"Let's try indoors."
Inside, there was a small gathering of people.
"Not many here tonight," Alex commented.
"Too cold," Sam replied, scanning the crowd. Noting nothing, she nudged Alex's arm. "Let's go on up. Take the grand tour. I'm glad they're letting people do that again—I have something I want to confess."
Inside the crown, the crowd grew thin until it was only the two of them. There Sam confessed the odd reference to statuary rape. Alex gaped at her then grinned, giving her a very American thumbs-up for keeping her mouth shut about the bizarre reference. After a brief discussion about her omission, the two stared out into space. Below, the city of New York was a glittering, dazzling feast of lights, along with waves of drifting fog curling sluggishly around the rocks and foundations of buildings.
Finally Alex broke the silence. "Yes, I'm glad you didn't tell Nic about the sex thing. If we catch Nero then we'll be the heroes of the story. Still… poor Nic. You're barely talking to him. Are you ever going to forgive him for his deception?"
Sam turned to stare at him. "Is that any of your business?"
Alex grinned. "No, but why let that stop me?"
Sam couldn't help but smile. Alex was a cutup, and cute for a Strakhov. If she hadn't been hung up on Nic, she might have felt some physical attraction for him. Instead, Alex reminded her of her own brother, Bogart, with his sense of teasing misadventure and stupid practical jokes. She wondered how Bogart—or who Bogart—was doing. "You're a hopeless case, you know that?" she said wryly.
Alex nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Now, speaking about my brother, remember that it's my fault he impersonated our cousin to get back at you. It was all a joke."
Sam gave him a quelling look. "Yes, Alex, I know. You're a riot, a laugh a minute."
"Now answer my question."
"Oh, didn't I?" Sam stared at him. "Perceptive of you to notice. Guess you have a head on your shoulders after all. Who would have thought, with those dirty stunts you pulled."
"Ow." Alex slapped a hand over his chest dramatically. "You wounded me."
Sam shook her head. "We're on duty here. Stop clowning around. I'd hate to see you stoned."
Alex snickered. "Nic feels the same way. Now I understand why Nic is so crazy for you. You're both too bossy."
Rolling her eyes, she laughed, but secretly she was jumping up and down. Did Nic really care so much? If he felt a fourth of what she felt for him, then maybe they had a chance.
Suddenly serious, Alex stared into Sam's eyes and willed her to believe. "It's true. I've never seen Nic like this with any other female. You're in his head and his heart."
In spite of herself, Sam's smile grew brighter.
Alex chortled. "See, you do care for Nic! I think you might just be as crazy about him as he is for you."
"Well, aren't you smart? Wipe that knowing smirk off your face, buster, and pay attention to our job. I'd hate to have to tell Nic that his little brother is a statue on top of a statue, target practice for pigeons."
"All right boss, you win. I'll behave."
And Alex was true to his words.
As the time passed, sometimes they talked, and sometimes they settled into a comfortable silence. The clock continued to tick. Two hours passed, and the fog thickened like a great gray blanket wrapping itself around the lower half of the city.
The call of a guard finally broke their thoughts, letting them know it was time to go. A reluctant Sam and a bored Alex slowly descended.
Boarding the ferry back to the city, both were lost in thought. She had failed tonight, and Sam didn't like that one little bit. Failure was not an option. The gorgon was out there, and she wasn't wrong about the Statue. For some reason, the Meduse had skipped his sexual hi-jinks tonight. But that didn't mean he would tomorrow or the night after that.
After the ferry landed, the crowd disappeared quickly into the gray fog, leaving Alex and Sam alone.
Life was a bitch at times like these, Sam thought ruefully. She felt like kicking somebody, hard. She had prepared herself for something to happen, and the gorgon hadn't shown. Ruefully, she shook her head as they headed for a street corner where they might hail a cab.
"I'll never live this down. And I hate like hell to admit it, but I guess Nic was right, at least about tonight. What rotten luck. And I just bet that Forest fires off some damn joke that's gonna make me want to kick her."
Alex slung his arm around her shoulder as they lurched forward into the white-gray darkness, their footsteps sounding a pitter-patter on the gritty, wet pavement.
"No, that book was most likely correct. I think your hunch is a good one. I like it. Just because the Meduse didn't show tonight doesn't mean he won't tomorrow."
Sam laughed half-heartedly, for he'd echoed her own thoughts. She chucked him on the chin. "Gee, thanks, kid."
Their banter was halted by a woman's scream, a' woman who had been driven beyond terror. The shrillness of her cry was unforgettable. Again the unknown woman screamed, and Alex was off like a shot back towards the harbor and quickly swallowed up by the fog.
Sam followed, trying to get her bearings while surrounded by the chalky gray mist, feeling lost and alone in this dreamscape where nothing seemed real. Ahead of her she heard the sound of a body falling, a woman's horrified gasp, and the sound of clothing tearing; this was followed closely by growling.
Quickening her pace, she almost ran over a woman lying unconscious on the ground, but who was still very much flesh and blood, which was a good sign as far as Sam could tell. Touching fingers to the unconscious woman's neck, Sam quickly found a pulse. The woman was fine; she'd just fainted, probably due to the horrific sight she'd seen.
And it was horrific, Sam realized, gulping noisily and taking in the battle before her. There were two combatants: the Meduse and a huge black wolf.