When cary met the good g.., p.1
When Cary Met the Good Guys, page 1
When Cary Met the Good Guys
A Cary Redmond Short Story Anthology
Kat Simons
WHEN CARY MET THE GOOD GUYS
Copyright © 2020 by Katrina Tipton
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Cover design: © 2020 Evernight Designs
Published by: T&D Publishing
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T&D Publishing: https://tanddpublishing.com/
Kat Simons Website: https://www.katsimons.com
Kat Simons Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/OxQQL
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All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
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eBooks are not transferable.
They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.
See how it all got started.
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Cary Redmond is just an ordinary woman contemplating a new career when she gets “tricked” into the life of a magical Protector. A paying job, which is always good, but still, not exactly something she’d trained for.
Her first year’s introduction to magic and mystery proves eventful, and not always in a good way. But as Cary learns to survive her new job, she meets some of the most important people (and pets!) in her life.
These are their stories…
For good friends and beloved pets both current and past.
Contents
When Cary Met Jaxer
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
When Cary Met Pickles
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
When Cary Met Marianne
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
When Cary Met Angie
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
When Cary Met Lucy
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Thank You
Books By Kat Simons
About the Author
When Cary Met Jaxer
When Cary met Jaxer, her life changed forever. Not that she wasn’t already looking for a change. But still. Rethinking her career goals was one thing. Finding out the world was a lot spookier than she knew, quite another.
Cary never intended to jump head first into that strange, new world. But for a soft hearted animal lover, there were just some things she couldn’t allow. And seeing a poor little Labrador puppy taking abuse from a huge man pushed her beyond her tolerance…right into one of the scariest moments of her life.
And the beginnings of a new adventure she may not survive.
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See how it all began. When Cary Met Jaxer.
1
Cary Redmond reconsidered her life plans as she wandered out of the movie theater, leaving behind the yummy scent of popcorn to take the long route along NW Glisan St back to her apartment. Wondering if she had what it took, if she could do all the things she’d have to do in her chosen profession.
The Portland night air was crisp and cold, an earlier rain leaving the sidewalk wet. Streetlamps cast secure little patches of light as she walked past businesses mostly closed for the night and houses and apartment buildings lit with occupants. Christmas decorations bejeweled the occasional balcony or front yard. A huge menorah sat at the ready outside the Beth Israel temple, awaiting the first night of Hanukah.
She pulled her wool coat tighter around her as a cold breeze kicked up. She usually loved this time of year. All the holidays and gifts and lights and family events. But this year, this month, she was having a hard time getting into the spirit of things.
Being a veterinary technician wasn’t all about helping save precious pet lives. She’d known that going in, but the reality was a lot harder than she’d anticipated. She’d had to help put someone’s beloved pet dog to sleep that morning, and she really hated that part of the job. It had been the right decision for the poor dog. Gallup was old and cancer riddled. It was time for him to rest.
But the anguished tears of Gallup’s owner when the old terrier had stopped breathing had broken Cary’s heart. She kept tearing up every time she thought about Glenda’s sobs. She could still hear the sound.
Could she do that for the rest of her life?
That question had driven her to the movies on her own, a silly rom-com she’d hoped would clear her thoughts and raise her spirits, or at least distract her enough she could get some sleep tonight. It hadn’t. She’d barely paid attention to the movie, and unusually for her, she’d even left half her bucket of popcorn uneaten.
Could she spend her life facing the grief of other animal lovers? Sometimes she’d help, sometimes she’d contribute to healing someone’s beloved pet. But sometimes the only thing she’d be able to do would be helping them let go, helping a beloved animal die gently. After wanting this career most of her life, being focused on this one goal, on pursuing this path, she didn’t know what she’d do with herself if she didn’t stick with it.
What else could she be?
As she passed a narrow driveway next to a tall red brick building, a sharp sound caught her attention. From the parking lot behind the building, she could swear she heard…
A high-pitched squeal of pain had her dashing up the drive and barreling around the corner of the building, searching the gloom of the empty lot for the injured animal.
The last thing she expected to see was a huge man kicking a little baby Labrador pup.
After what she’d just watched a loving pet owner go through, the thought that someone would treat their own pet with such abuse made her see red. When the huge man kicked the puppy again, and the puppy let out another squealing whine, Cary charged in. She didn’t even think about the fact that that huge guy might be dangerous to her. She didn’t care.
No one should just kick a poor little puppy that way.
And she’d be damned if she stood by and let it happen.
2
“Enough,” Cary roared, and swept the baby Labrador up in her arms. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“How I deal with this useless mutt is none of your concern, woman,” the man said, his voice quiet, with a vague hiss to it.
Agh. She hated when men called her woman. It was just rude. “I’m making it my business, bub. I’m a vet.” Only a partial lie. “And it’s my sworn duty to protect helpless animals.” Sort of. Technically.
He didn’t need the exact details anyway.
The man growled at her, showing teeth which were very white and very pointed. And there was the faintest scent of sulfur coming from him, like he had rotten eggs in his pockets.
Weird.
“You do not know what you’re meddling in, woman.” He pulled himself up to his full height, which suddenly seemed even taller than before. His pale skin looked faintly green in the security light from the back of the building. “You will return my beast and be gone. Now.”
His voice boomed out so deep from his wide, thick chest that his command reverberated between them like a base bell. She could feel the sound in her bones.
“No,” she said, lifting her chin and dropping her head back so she could look him in the face. Geez, the guy must be seven foot tall. She snarled up at the puppy-kicker. “I will not allow the abuse of a helpless animal.” She reached into her jacket pocket for her phone. “I’m calling 911. There are laws against animal abuse.”
Some weird trick of the light made it look like the man’s eyes were glowing red. That was really strange. She pushed aside the niggling voice in her head telling her that wasn’t a trick of the light. Logically, it had to be.
Right?
“Drop the phone, woman, or I will make you suffer.”
“Like you were making this poor puppy suffer? Yeah, no.” She glanced down to dial 911. Even if the police weren’t in a hurry to protect a puppy—which they should be—the guy had just threatened her. He was dangerous and the police needed to deal with him.
The huge man knocked the phone out of her hand, sending it careening to the ground. The crunching sound when it hit pavement made her wince.
“Bastard,” she muttered. But when she looked up to give the man hell, the words died in her throat.
The puppy whined and tucked his head between her bicep and her chest. Cary swallowed hard.
The huge…thing before her no longer looked human.
Holy shit.
What was he…it…? What?
Horns like a ram’s had sprouted from his head and curved up over his ears, his brown hair seemed to have lengthened and the tips of both horns and hair looked like they were glowing white. His eyes were most definitely red now, a bright, lava red. And his previously ordinary white skin was now covered in green and yellow scales.
What the ever-loving hell?
A scream clawed at her throat, as rough and brutal as scrapping sandpaper over delicate skin. Yet she couldn’t make a sound. Nothing came out. The horror choked her. Suddenly, breathing seemed optional.
This had to be a trick of some kind. This was a mean sort of joke. The guy had just slipped into a Halloween mask when she was looking at her phone. Yeah, that was it. A mask. The bastard was trying to scare her because he was mean.
Mean enough to kick a puppy.
That thought ignited her anger again. How dare he try to scare her when he was the one in the wrong. She grabbed onto that anger and glared up at the guy she was positive was wearing a mask now.
“Tricks and a broken phone aren’t going to scare me off,” she said. “I’m not letting you hurt the dog. You don’t want to get arrested for animal abuse, you need to leave. Now.”
The man, who seemed even taller than he had a moment ago, like well over seven and a half feet tall—another trick she as sure—growled. Were his teeth even more pointy?
He raised a hand, pointing one very long finger at her. “You will die for your insolence, human.”
She rolled her eye at the claw tips covering his fingers. “Those are very cliché,” she said, pointing at his hands. “Really, with the ram horns and reptile scales, which I will say are a pretty scary mashup, the best you could do on your hands was fake claws?”
“I will melt your body. You will dissolve in pain and agony. And I will slurp up your juices.”
“Ew. That’s gross. Who says things like that? You really are a sick bastard. I’m no longer surprised you’d kick a puppy. But you’re not gonna get away with that. And I won’t be cowed by Halloween makeup and a gross threat.”
A forked tongue slipped out between his hard-scaled lips as he hissed at her.
“Yeah, you started off original,” she said, “but really, your costume has devolved into predictable. Maybe you should go back to the drawing board.”
The man looked larger now and took a step toward her. Despite her brave words and her conviction that all this was a trick, she still stumbled backward a few steps. He stank of rotten eggs, so strong now the smell gaged her. And even before the stupid mask, the guy was huge. She wasn’t exactly a tiny thing herself at 5’9”, but he dwarfed her.
She really didn’t want to get hit in the face by fists the size of this guy’s.
But the puppy whined again, his little face burrowing deeper against her side, and her heart broke. Poor baby. She hugged him tighter and faced the looming threat. Fuck this guy with his horns and claws. He wasn’t going to hurt this dog again.
The man lifted both hands, his too long fingers curved as he reached for her throat. Some kind of clear liquid dripped from his pointed talons, plopping to the ground with a faint sizzling sound. She didn’t dare look down, but she was having a hard time convincing herself that was just bad stage glue melting out from under his claws.
“You’re going to taste good,” the man—man?—snarled.
“Gross,” she said and took another involuntary step back, holding the puppy tighter in both arms now.
Unable to stop herself, she flicked a glance down at the ground. Sections of pavement the size of marbles had sunken in, the edges soft-looking, like the concrete had melted. She swallowed hard. That didn’t look like a special effects trick.
She met the man-things blazing red eyes. His snarl turned into a terrifying grin and he laughed.
The sound made the hair on Cary’s body stand up. She glanced behind the man toward the driveway, her only escape from the parking lot. But there was no way to get around him without getting close to his talons, and she was pretty sure whatever was dripping from them would hurt. She took a step to one side, hoping to give herself some space to run, but the man-thing blocked her way, his laughter loud in the quiet night.
The puppy howled in despair.
“Sorry,” she whispered to the dog, giving him a gentle pat. “I tried.”
3
The man-thing lunged at her with his dripping claws, too fast for her to avoid. She folded herself over the dog, sheltering him with her body even though she knew it was a useless gesture.
Wincing in anticipation of the pain, she squeezed her eyes shut. It occurred to her she probably should have tried running away sooner. But she’d never been good at running.
Her fight or flight instincts were really screwed up.
She’d gotten all the way through those thoughts before she realized the pain she’d been anticipating hadn’t come. No dripping acid burning her skin, no deadly claws ripping her apart, no tearing or melting or…anything but a faint tingle dancing along her nerves, like static electricity during a lightning storm.
Really weird.
She squinted up at her attacker. He was snarling and hissing and throwing himself at her. But whenever he got within a few inches, he bounced backward. It would have been funny if she weren’t so scared. She trembled with the fear, her knees so weak and wobbly she was afraid she’d collapse soon.
Yet, no matter what the man-thing did, he couldn’t reach her. The liquid from his claws splattered around her, melting concrete like it was butter, but she remained safe inside an invisible bubble. One chunk of melted pavement did splatter up onto her jeans, burning a hole through the material over her calf and dropping against her skin. She stomped her foot a few panicked times to dislodge the pellet, kicking it away.
Given the stinging pain from that little chunk of half-melted stone, she could only imagine how much direct contact with the man-thing’s acid would hurt. She had no idea what was holding him and his acid claws back, but she’d never been so grateful for anything in her life.
“Any idea what’s happening here, little guy?” she asked the puppy.
He whined in response, but he did pull his head out from under her arm to look at the monster attacking them. The puppy sniffed the air, then leaned back into Cary. She was a little surprised to realize he wasn’t shaking anymore. Her knees were still wobbling from all the adrenaline coursing through her blood. She gave the Lab a rub around his ears and he rewarded her with a lick across her hand. His tail thumped happily against her ribs.
After a few more attempted attacks, the man-thing snarled at her. “What are you? Some kind of witch?”
She stiffened her thighs to keep her legs from buckling and shrugged. “Haven’t been before now.” She was as baffled as the monster looked. “What are you, by the way? I’m thinking not a normal guy in a Halloween mask.”
The thing hissed at her, his scaly lips pulled back in a threatening snarl. She winced and prepared for another round of attacks, keeping the puppy safely tucked against her body. The monster lifted his talon-tipped hands, the clear acid liquid dripped from his claws.
And then a look of utter shock moved through his expression. His red eyes widened impossibly large. His mouth rounded in an “o” of surprise.
He looked down at the ground, and Cary followed his gaze automatically. There was a very black hole under the monster, which made it appear like he was floating over empty space. He looked up at her, reached toward her and the puppy, opened his mouth as if to say something, and then fell into the black hole.
There was even a whoosh sound as the monster disappeared and the hole whirled closed.
For a very long moment, Cary just stared at the spot where the monster had been.
