Free Other Places 3: Detours by P. S. Power Page A

you need?"
    The
woman actually froze, then nodded stiffly.
    "Would...
I will need to take some precautions in case they have turned against me, for
not supporting their current efforts. May I purchase such backing here, do you
think? You have Trolls and Shifters, no?" This was said to Lenore, so Zack
didn't correct the woman's language.
    Calling
Trolleinkein "Trolls" was a bit like calling a black American the
n-word. Even with his screwed up home schooled education, Zack knew not to do
that. Either one of them. Especially if you wanted them to work with
you.
    That
part was up to her and her people however, Zack gestured to Barb, and walked
out of the room as if he hadn't just backhanded a master Vampire into a wall
and then strongly implied he was going to make her his bitch, in a prison
fashion, if she didn't toe the line. The thing there was, if she didn't, he would .
It was creepy and not what he wanted, but he really wanted to die a lot less,
and letting her run around plotting against him was a poor plan. Really, Darla
would probably spank him , for not killing the woman outright.
    Maybe
with some of that rape, just to show him how it was done. Not that she'd gone
there yet, but it also hadn't come up like this.
    Gesturing
lightly to Barb, he moved to the table with Roland and Rowan, knowing that
their names had been something different, once upon a time, before their last
master got a hold of them. Mark and Cindy, or something. Not that he cared at
the moment. One name really was about as good as another, as far as he was
concerned. Plus they sort of matched that way.
    "Hey
all. How are you doing? Getting enough to eat? Keeping busy?" What did you
ask young Vampires that had been taken as spoils of war, anyway?
    Rowan
tilted her head, holding it, trying to smile shyly. It looked off still, but
she was only about forty years old, as a Vampire. So sixty or so, over all,
given her looks. He didn't touch her to find out. Barb was better at that kind
of thing, but had, he realized, a much better education. Lenore had schooled
her people well, as far as blending in had gone. It made a difference.
    "We
were told to come here. That we were to be the slaves of a Greater Demon. That
or die." She didn't seem truly happy about it, and Roland grimaced, hard.
    Then
he made a single soft grunting sound.
    "I
think we should run. Say, what happened back there? I heard noise, some
talking, but didn't understand it all."
    Zack
nodded and smiled at the man, who he used to call eighties hair. He still had a
mullet, which would have to go if he was going to be working in a book store.
Both of them would need better clothing too. That night. They were wearing
things he'd given them, still. It was probably all they owned. The things were
clean, but looked lived in, and well worn already.
    He
leaned in a bit and faked a wink.
    "The
Police Chief suggested killing me. Idly, I think. So I gently introduced her
head to the back wall of this place, and then threatened to do your Vampire
dominance rape thing. I spanked her instead, because I'm cute that way, but...
you get the idea?"
    Rowan
was clearly the smarter of the two, since she at least went wide eyed.
    "You're
the Greater Demon?"
    Roland
simply looked unbelieving, but that didn't matter, as long as they worked hard.
    "Right
in one. I knew I liked you. Okay, so, first I'm going to eat a bit, and
then, while I do that, I'll explain that you aren't really slaves at all. Employees.
You get paid and can even earn some vacation time. Have you two eaten
today?"
    Roland
looked around and then, covertly, made a face. It wasn't pleasant, but showed
that he didn't want to be beaten either.
    "Goat.
Earlier, before they drove us here a few hours ago."
    That
got him to wave to Barb, and without getting up, asked for two bloods to be
passed over. He was paying for it, but the two in front of him needed to
understand that coming to him was actually a good thing, not a
punishment. Then, slowly, over the next