“But can you honestly see Edward Hyde resting on his laurels? We’re talking about a man driven by hate and evil.”
“Given a choice, between keeping him alive for answers or killing the most dangerous man in the world . . . I vote we concentrate on the killing,” said Tina. “Or bits of us could end up scattered all around his office.”
“Good point,” said Daniel.
They came to a halt outside the main entrance. Light shone dimly through the tinted lobby windows, but there was no way of seeing in. No way of telling what kind of welcome Edward might have arranged for them. Daniel tried the door. It wasn’t locked. He took his hand away.
“What?” said Tina.
“I’m just wondering if there might be a tiger or two waiting,” said Daniel. “That does strike me as the kind of thing Edward would find funny.”
“If we can handle werewolves, we can handle tigers,” said Tina.
“This is true,” said Daniel.
“It doesn’t matter what’s waiting in there,” said Tina. “We just plow right through it, because we can’t afford to be distracted. There’s always the chance Edward might run, rather than face us openly.”
“No,” Daniel said immediately. “That would make him look weak, or scared, and he couldn’t bear that. He always has to be the most dangerous thing in the room. His pride won’t stand for anything else.”
“I’m putting my money on some kind of ambush,” said Tina. “Something to slow us down and wear us out before we get to him.”
“Who’d still be in the building at this hour?” said Daniel. “Are we going to end up fighting the janitors?”
“Whoever it is, knock them down and walk right over them,” said Tina. “Because good people don’t come to work for Jekyll & Hyde Inc.”
Daniel looked at her. “You did.”
She met his gaze steadily. “I wasn’t a good person when Edward found me. If I have mellowed since then, it’s because of you.”
“Mellow is not a word I would ever use to describe you,” said Daniel.
She flashed him a quick smile. “You say the nicest things.”
Daniel went back to staring at the door. “Given that we have killed Frankensteins, vampires, mummies, and werewolves to get to this point, I’m hard-pressed to think what Edward could have waiting in there that might stand a hope in hell of stopping us.”
“He’ll have thought of something,” said Tina. “Edward lives to put the boot into his enemies, in new and inventive ways.”
“I’m past being impressed,” said Daniel. “I just want this to be over.”
He kicked the door open and strode into the lobby, with Tina right beside him—and then they crashed to a halt. Because for the first time in Daniel’s experience, the lobby wasn’t empty. It was crammed from wall to wall with all kinds of people aiming all kinds of guns. Daniel and Tina looked thoughtfully at the massed gunmen, and a series of soft clicks traveled through the crowd as some of them remembered about safety catches. Daniel and Tina glared unwaveringly at the gunmen, refusing to be intimidated.
“People with guns?” Tina said loudly. “I think we’ve just been insulted.”
“There are an awful lot of them,” said Daniel.
“It’s the principle of the thing!” said Tina.
Daniel studied the crowd carefully.
“I’m seeing automatic weapons and all kinds of handguns, but nothing to suggest these people have any experience in using them. They’re just suits, office workers, maybe lower management. Security must have had the good sense to do a runner, rather than face us. If you ask me, most of these people would jump out of their socks if I shouted Boo! at them. Shall I try?”
“That would be cruel,” said Tina.
“Is that a yes, or a no?”
“They’re just office drones,” said Tina. “I know some of them. We used to go drinking together.” She raised her voice. “Johnny, Frank, Nathan . . . what the hell is going on here?”
The three gunmen named had the grace to seem a little abashed. They all looked at one another, hoping someone else would go first.
“Why are you pointing guns at me?” Tina said loudly.
“And me,” said Daniel, just to make it clear he wasn’t going to be left out.
Under the pressure of Tina’s gaze, Nathan cleared his throat uncomfortably. “We’re here because Mr. Hyde told us we had to be. And because we’re more afraid of him than we are of you.”
There was a general murmur of agreement that died quickly away when Tina scowled around her.
“But he’s not here, and I am. Feel free to wet yourself now, and avoid the rush.” She glanced at Daniel. “I can’t believe Edward set his office staff on us.”
“Not everyone’s here,” said Daniel.
Tina looked quickly round the crowd. “Who’s missing?”
“I’m not seeing the two tailors,” said Daniel. “Which is just as well, given that they always creeped the hell out of me.”
“Really?” said Tina. “I thought they were sweet.”
“That’s because you’re weird.”
“And you love it,” said Tina. “I don’t see Miss Montague. And no one here seems to be armed with any of the really nasty things we saw in her armory.”
“Now that is odd,” said Daniel. “Maybe Miss Montague decided she didn’t want any part of this, and barricaded herself inside the armory.”
“Let’s hope so,” said Tina. “Because I saw a few things in there that could punch a hole through a mountain and make it apologize for being in the way.” She turned back to Nathan, who looked like he was trying to pretend he was hiding behind someone else. “Do you know why Edward only gave you ordinary guns?”
“Because he wants your bodies as intact as possible,” Nathan said miserably.
“How considerate,” said Tina.
“Not really,” said Daniel. “He has a use for them.”
“Okay . . . ” said Tina. “My head is now full of appalling images and I really wish it wasn’t.”
“I’m wondering why no one’s opened fire yet,” said Daniel.
“Ask them,” said Tina. “No, let me do it. I can be more menacing.”
“I can do menacing,” said Daniel. “I used to be a policeman.”
“Mr. Hyde said he didn’t want your bodies destroyed,” Nathan said quickly. “He did say he was prepared to accept damaged, if you didn’t obey orders.”
“We’re not good at obeying orders,” said Daniel.
“We’re really not,” said Tina.
“We’re Hydes,” said Daniel.
“Damn right,” said Tina.
Nathan did his best to stand up straight and sound like he was in charge.
“You must see you’re massively outnumbered! And that we have lots of really big guns. There’s no way you could hope to survive massed firepower like this. So . . . please surrender, and let us take you to see Mr. Hyde in his office. Who knows? Maybe he just wants to talk to you.”
“Does that even sound likely?” said Daniel.
“Not really, no,” said Nathan. “But it has to beat dying here in a hail of bullets. Please come along . . . and then we can all go home and hide under our beds till this is over.”
“Oh sure,” said Tina. “Because this is all about you.” She turned to Daniel. “I get it now. Edward wants our bodies as undamaged as possible, so he can use them to make more Elixir.”
“And I’m pretty sure he can’t do that while we’re still alive,” said Daniel. “So the most likely scenario is . . . we’ll be ushered into his office, where Edward will be all smiles and apologies, and say there’s been a terrible misunderstanding; and would we care for a nice drugged drink? Once we’re under the influence he can just carve us up, and squeeze what’s left of the Elixir out of our systems.”
“That does sound like Edward,” said Tina.
“Couldn’t you cooperate just a little?” Nathan said desperately.