Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews Page B

when I realized I could die."
    This didn't sound good. Not at all. "And he had stalkers with him?"
    Mr. Rodriguez nodded. "Dahaka are a reclusive and very violent race. They pride themselves on their ability to kill, and they often employ other creatures the way our hunters employ dogs. Stalkers are some of their favorites."
    I thought out loud. "But why would a dahaka be in Red Deer, Texas? There's nothing there. And if one of them was there, why wouldn't he come to the inn?"
    "I don't know. But I can tell you there's one way to find out if you have a dahaka. They implant transmitters into their animals. If you have one, that stalker corpse has a transmitter somewhere in its flesh."
    So I was facing a very violent creature armed with advanced weaponry and a pack of murderous beasts. How in the world would I even deal with it?
    "I wish I could help," Mr. Rodriguez said.
    "Thank you." We both knew he couldn't. He had his inn and I had mine. "I just wish the inn was stronger, that's all."
    "Would you mind a bit of unsolicited advice?"
    "I'll take all the advice I can get."
    He turned and nodded at the inn. "Casa Feliz is a very busy place. We serve Dallas and Fort Worth and a good deal of Oklahoma. We have a reputable standing as a good place to stay for most guests. In essence, we are the Holiday Inn of our world."
    Yes, his inn was doing well and mine wasn't. I was painfully aware of that fact. "I'm afraid I don't follow."
    "When Gertrude Hunt was built all those years ago, it stood on a road crossing. But now the roads have moved on, the inn stood abandoned, and I would guess that even with proximity to Austin and Houston, you still don't get many visitors. My point is that there are different kinds of inns. Some inns are like Casa Feliz and cater to a wide variety of patrons. Some cater only to few, select customers. The guests with special needs. Don't fight your remote location --turn it to your advantage. If you succeed in that, you'll build a quiet reputation that will speak volumes. Your exclusivity could be an asset, the way it was for Blue Falls."
    "Thank you." It was sound advice. I just had no idea how to follow it. "May I trouble you for an introduction to the Blue Falls innkeeper? Perhaps I could call him and ask him for more information about dahakas?"
    Mr. Rodriguez shook his head. "I'm sorry, but Blue Falls was destroyed seventeen years ago. One of the guests went on a rampage and murdered the innkeeper and her family. A terrible tragedy."
    Umm. So I could be just like that other innkeeper who'd died in a horrible way.
    I rose off the bench. "Thank you so much for all your help. I must be going."
    "You've driven a long way. Would you like some lunch?"
    "No, thank you. I want to get back as soon as possible."
    Mr. Rodriguez nodded. "I understand. If there is anything else I can do, don't hesitate to call. I'll help in any way I can."
    I started down the path. Oh, shoot, Sean. "Mr. Rodriguez?"
    "Yes?"
    "Do you know why a particular werewolf would be much stronger than others?"
    Mr. Rodriguez smiled and said in the patient voice he'd used with Isabella, "Have you consulted your Creature Guide ?"
    "I have. It doesn't mention anything relevant."
    "Did you inherit it with the inn?"
    "Yes. All my books and possessions disappeared with my parents."
    Mr. Rodriguez nodded. "It's probably out of date. Before the werewolves blew themselves up, they bred a second generation of combat operatives to hold the gates against the Sun Horde while the population evacuated. They're just like the usual werewolves, except more: stronger, faster, harder to kill, more aggressive, more everything. They aren't too stable, but nobody worried about that at the time since they weren't expected to live. The funny thing is, their makers bred them to survive against overwhelming odds, holding the gates against superior firepower often by pure will, and then were extremely surprised when their creations refused to give up and die at the end.