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Chapter 103: Aftermath
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Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 1: Her Scoop
The irony was not lost on Whitney. A graduate of the #1 journalism school in the country was covering a social event, instead of tracking down corporations dumping toxic waste into the Delaware River or ambushing deadbeat landlords saddling their tenants with broken heaters.Whitney Lewis couldn't believe she was filing her story in a bathroom. She was a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Emerson College, for goodness' sake.In her evening gown with her laptop perched on her knees and her heels discarded next to her, she wrote about who'd attended the Philadelphia Arts Center Gala with whom, as if it mattered to anyone. Well, it must have mattered to someone, or her father wouldn't have relegated her to the gossip department, instead of the hard news department. She sighed as someone entered the bathroom, but she didn't look up. If she filed the story now, she could go home and sleep. Another woman entered and went right into the stall next to the first woman. At least the bathroom in this f
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 2: A Trip Down Memory Lane
Coffee and pie. Deke remembered their early days, when they kept a bottle from storage for themselves. They'd hole up at someone's house and sleep off the drunk the next day. That had gotten old. Even if none of them were married, they acted like old married people anyway, never partying until the wee hours of the morning anymore. Trent shook his head. "Not me."Pete looked at Deke, who frowned. "I think I'm going to fall into bed. I was up early.""Yeah?" Pete said. "What was her name?"Deke's bed had been decidedly empty last night. He hadn't even gone to the local bar for a beer after dinner. Instead, he'd put himself in front of a screen to find a reason for his restlessness. Something was going on in the world, and he was sensing it. He'd been tired and having vivid dreams for days. The internet had only provided conspiracy theories of a one-world government, controlling everything. It made sense, but he wasn't prone to being that suspicious—not that he'd admit his fascination fo
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 3: Finding Grotesque
"I can't help you," Agostina said through clenched teeth.Whitney rose, needing to move. She strode around the small green park. "Can you point me in the direction of someone who can get me on the guest list?"A sigh came through the phone. "You didn't hear this from me. Okay?""Okay," Whitney said, stopping short. "Go ahead." Hopefully, she was on to something. This could be the story that rocketed her out of the society beat and into actual news. Her father couldn't deny her that for much longer—especially if she broke a story no one else had yet. "I learned about them from my friend, Karen. Karen heard about them from her friend. I don't know how that friend heard."Whitney wanted to hurry her along. She needed the sauce for this story. "Okay. Can you get me on the guest list?""Well, I don't know. It's exclusive and secret," Agostina said, suddenly haughty.Yes. Whitney knew that. The secretiveness was what intrigued her. How had they kept the nightclub so exclusive in the age of
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 4: Pop-Up Nightclub
Trent stood on the edge of the roof's terrace. This was one of the nicer spots they'd chosen, a roof people could use but was usually reserved for the owners of the building. He could see Center City in the distance. "Why not?""We don't need the money, Trent."Trent eyed him. "What are you saying?""The more often we set up, the more likely it is we will get on someone's radar. Case in point: I was followed tonight.""By whom?""Some woman. I didn't get a good look at her, but she wasn't a goblin.""I think you're letting all the stuff with Aileen get to you." Aileen, one of their former bouncers, had happened upon a plot by the goblins to derail the election for the Governor of Pennsylvania. Their Manchurian Candidate had been discovered and withdrawn from the race. Aileen had uncovered some disturbing plans, and Deke and his fellow owners—all former military—had agreed to investigate. So far, the goblins had been laying low.Deke pulled out his phone and showed the text to Trent, wh
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 5: Covering Their Asses
"I want to delete any pictures you've taken of this place," Deke said. He held out a hand that looked like it could lift weights and field-dress a deer.Whitney eyed it for a moment. "I've done nothing wrong.""You weren't on the guest list.""How do you know?""I know." His caveman demeanor was starting to wear on her."I'm not giving up my phone."In a motion so swift, she didn't see it, he grabbed her purse and unzipped it. She snatched at it, but he put it out of her reach while he dug into it. He pulled out her phone, handing the purse back to her."This isn't right," she protested.His steely gaze came back to her face. "You are dealing with people's livelihoods here. All is fair in love and war." He handed her the phone. "Unlock it.""No.""I'll drop it off the side of the building."She believed him, and since it was a company-issued phone, she unlocked it before handing it back to him. The paperwork for a new phone would be a nightmare. Then, there would be a meeting with her
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 6: No Cops
"No."Whitney pulled out her phone, and Deke grabbed it from her. "I'll call the cops when our customers are gone," he explained. "That body isn't going anywhere."She tried to brush past him, her shock clearly having worn off. "I want to see it. Take pictures."He put a firm hand on her wrist. "Stay out of it, Whitney.""Why?""Because if you do get involved, you might be in danger."A small smile appeared on her face. "Deke, I didn't know you cared.""Can it, Whitney. If someone jumped off a building to kill themselves, there is no doubt their life was a mess. You don't need to involve yourself in that. Stick to socialites.""And pop-up nightclubs?"He looked down at her. She was baiting him, and with God as his witness, he wanted to take that bait. "Leave it be, Whitney."She crossed her arms. "Are you going to hold me here against my will?""Yes."Her mouth opened slightly. Had no one ever said no to her before? She hadn't come off as a spoiled rich girl until now.His eyes narrow
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 7: Keeping Secrets
"As little as possible," Deke said. "Oh?" Whitney said from the doorway.Deke hadn't noticed the water had stopped running. He hoped she hadn't heard the references to goblins. That would take some explaining, which he wasn't interested in doing. He rose. Her wet hair was slicked back from her bare face. The look on her face spelled determination. She was even more beautiful now. Even as he thought that, he reminded himself that he didn't want to see Whitney that way."I've made you some food," he said.She eyed him, and then Trent, who seemed overly interested in his plate. As gargoyles—and former military—they shouldn't have been afraid of a woman who was a little spit of a thing, compared to them. Then again, the shortest drill sergeants were usually the toughest—and the smallest dogs were far more likely to attack than the biggest ones were.With that in mind, Deke retrieved the plate and put it at the place he'd set for her. Would his fried rice soothe the savage beast?She slid
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 8: Intruder
That meant someone had opened a door or window to the outside. Was Whitney doing a runner? He heard a creak—a faint one, but he knew it came from the basement. If it were just him, he could escape off the roof. Hopefully, Whitney wasn't afraid of heights. As a gargoyle, up would be his natural direction. With his shoes in hand, he crept in his socks to the room Whitney had chosen. Her door was still closed. The doorknob didn't make a sound when he turned it. His eyes had adjusted to the dark enough to see she was still there. A fierce sense of protectiveness overcame him. Why? Why did he feel the need to keep Whitney safe? He'd never felt this strongly about Brenda. He shook off the thoughts of his dead ex-girlfriend.Moving to the side of the bed, he nudged Whitney. She woke up, and he put a hand over her mouth. "Quiet. It's Deke." She nodded, and he let her go. He was close enough to whisper, "Grab your clothes. Leave your phone."She rose and was ready to move in minutes. He was im
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Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 103: Aftermath
Dani woke late the next morning to the scent of coffee and pancakes. It all smelled good, so she pulled on sweats and headed in the direction of aroma. Ben stood in front of the stove wearing a pair of jeans and a worn t-shirt. He wouldn't have looked any better if he'd been in a tuxedo.She paused in the doorway and watched his efficient movements. He was humming while he worked. As if a load had been taken off his shoulders. There were no reminders of his wounds from last night."Hi," he said, turning to her.She slid into his arms as if it were the most natural thing. They'd been through something together. Even if they didn't have a bond before, the events of last night would have cemented one between them. "Hey.""You okay?" he asked."I'm okay. Not sure where I go from here," she said.He had one hand on her back and the other on her hair, stroking it. As if he knew she loved it. "One foot in front of the other."Dani's phone rang. It was the college. "Let me take this." She move
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 102: She Was Here
Dani was close and that made Ben want to turn, but something was holding him back. Was there some magic in this room that kept his abilities at bay? He didn't know that could happen. He'd never heard of it and it was a disturbing new twist to a goblin's power. He'd have to ask Donal when they arrived. Which he was pretty sure they were going to do.If Dani was here, she'd been brought here by the good guys. At least he hoped. The men playing cards had left. He could feel his wounds healing, but not as quickly as they should have. Something was definitely blocking his powers. A goblin flung open the door to the room. This one's stench was as bad as the rest of them.He wore a suit in his human form, but it didn't mask his evil. Ben glanced up at him with his one unswollen eye. This wasn't going to end well for the goblins, and if he could, Ben would extract as much information from them as possible. They still thought they were winning.The good guys were going to win again. Ben had no
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 101: Saving Ben
Dani heard the words he didn't say. They could kill Ben and it hurt her heart. She flinched at the idea that he would no longer be around. "I get it. I'm sorry I'm dragging my feet."Donal put a hand on hers. "We understand, we just want to get Ben."She nodded. "So do I." She shook herself. "So, I have to be touching Ben for our power to work?""Yes, and he needs to be in gargoyle form.""There's nothing else I need to do?" she asked.She looked at each one of them. As much as she couldn't grasp it all, she wanted the whole story. All of it."Just hold onto Ben."***Dani bounced around in the front seat of the van as Tex drove it from paved streets to ones with potholes and ruts. For the taxes they paid, the roads were the worst. Of course, this was an area that had been abandoned and maybe those companies renovating the warehouses would do the same for the roads."Not too much further. Can you feel him?"She nodded. Ben was in pain. She knew that, but he hadn't given up hope. It was
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 100: You're a Fairy
Dani's thoughts immediately went to her friend with cancer. That was the biggest incident. It wasn't the only one. A few more flooded her brain. "Yes.""Well, those are your fairy powers. You can wish something for someone else and it comes true. Something good of course. You are unable to use your powers for bad things."Powers? She had powers? "Can I wish Ben back here?""It's not that simple," Sean said, taking up the explanation. "Because goblin magic is strong, you can't overcome it. Well, not alone."She sat straighter. "So, how can I?""With your gargoyle."She looked around the table again. "Ben?""Yes. Ben's your gargoyle," Sean said.Okay. She needed a little more. "Can you give me some background?""Back before humans—or we think humans with goblins' help—ruled the world, there was magic. Gargoyle and fairies formed an alliance against goblins. A few elite families of gargoyles were assigned to protect a specific fairy. That is still true, but most fairies have no idea they
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 99: Ben Gone
If Dani went downstairs to Foley Security, she might miss Ben.She should wait.She poured water into a mug and tucked it into the microwave for tea. Something was bothering her. Something in her soul told her that Ben was in trouble. She hit cancel on the microwave and took the steps one floor down.Foley Security was buzzing, but it was probably normal activity. The spouses had gone home. Ben and Dani knew when their interviews were. Donal had taken care of security for the ones they would have to do in person. The rest would be done remotely via Zoom in the office Tex had set up for them.Dani looked around, then finally asked the receptionist, "Where's Donal?""He's out meeting a new client.""Declan?""He's in his office. He might be on the phone," she said."Can I go back? I need to talk to him."She nodded as the phone rang. Dani slipped past her and down the hall, in search of any of the Foley brothers.Sean walked out into the hallway. Dani stopped. "I need to talk to you. Ben
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 98: Suspended
"Give them to me, and I'll not have you escorted off campus by security."The woman was a goblin. How hadn't Ben noticed that from the other end of the lecture hall? Maybe they were getting good at covering up their stench. "Let's go, Dani.""I'm not going to be run off campus that easily.""It's better if we go now."The dean shot him a glowering look. She knew what Ben was, and he didn't want an altercation in case any of the students were still lingering. Dani frowned then packed up her briefcase. "This isn't over.""Yes, it is."Wyatt was waiting outside. "Professor Walsh? What's going on?""I guess I'm suspended. Do me a favor? Keep questioning things," Dani said to him.Ben put a hand on her lower back. "It was worth a try, Dani. This place is crawling with goblins, so I guess they have infiltrated here also.""Let's talk when we get to the car," she said.Ben had to agree. He couldn't get them out of there fast enough.***Ben received the notice from YouTube the next day. They
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 97: Reunion
Meg hugged Dani. "You look as if you are carrying the weight of the world. You aren't alone anymore, Dani. We're all here."The idea warmed her. She hadn't had a tribe since college. Many of her friends had moved away to find jobs in other cities. She'd stayed put, thinking this was her home. It was, even if she had no family here. Instead of fostering new friendships, she'd launched herself into her career. Speaking engagements had followed, but her life was a little empty."That's nice to know, Meg. Thanks.""Ben might be done by now. He'll be looking for you.""Me?"She wasn't sure if he would be or not. She didn't know where she stood with Ben. Or exactly why it mattered to her. Before their event, she'd been happy to go through life alone. Sort of happy about it. Maybe she'd only been reconciled to the idea."Of course," Meg said."Why?"Meg just laughed, the sound a sweet melody for some reason. "Let's go find him. I'm starved and I hope my husband is back with breakfast."Dani's
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 96: Confession
"How much do you know?" Ben asked."Well, I know that goblins invaded the venue. We have several videos of that. And now that you put out that video of you changing to a gargoyle my boss has told me to step up our investigation of the goblins.""You've known about what is going on?" Ben said.He shifted in the chair he'd chosen. Dalton nodded. "They've been on our radar for a while. With you exposing them we suspect they will get more violent.""I certainly hadn't expected that reaction.""Don't feel guilty. You did what you thought was right. I get it. I'm sure it was cathartic to come into the light about who you are."Ben nodded. Dalton had said that wistfully. "You a supe?""Gargoyle, like you, except I'm of French ancestry not Irish. My family has been in the United States for years.""I had a buddy in the service whose family was from France. Paris. He was the first generation born here. Frenchie, we called him. He'd swear at us in French so we'd have no idea what he was saying."
Gargoyles in Uniform Chapter 95: Revealing
Ben would do everything in his power to protect his children, if he had them. Tex shrugged. "I think that you're doing the right thing. It is the only way to win this battle with the goblins."He shook Tex's hand. "Thanks. And Aileen?""My wife is on board with defeating goblins.""Good to know. Now let me think about what I'm going to say."Ben walked back in front of the camera."You haven't been planning this?""I have, Tex, but I never thought about what I'd say.""Say what is in your heart," Dani said from the doorway.Ben nodded. "I guess that's the best advice I'm going to get."Tex climbed up onto the table and sat behind the camera. "Well said.""You should go up, Dani," Ben said.She shook her head. "I've spent my whole life studying history. I want to be part of it now.""No pressure," Ben said, laughing."None meant, but this is huge, Ben," she said.He nodded. "Okay let's begin. I think I know what I want to say now."Dani cleared her throat. "I'll be right outside."Ben w
