“I wouldn’t mind being in motion myself,” Victor said. “Follow me.”
Victor led the way out of the room, down from the apartment, and out the back of the candy shop. The pungent aromas coming from the display cases of sweets were almost too much for Trevor, but he liked how smoothly he could move on all fours.
Trevor paused after exiting the candy shop. What if Mr. Stott was wrong? What if Jonas White managed to attack Trevor with his simulacrum while he was in wolf form? Trevor supposed it was possible, but he had to take the risk.
Victor opened the passenger door to the van, and Trevor hopped inside, reflecting that without fingers it would have been almost impossible for him to work the handle. Victor came around and slid in behind the wheel, moving the seat back a little to accommodate his larger physique.
“Do we have a strategy?” Trevor asked.
“I considered ramming the van through the front doors,” Victor replied. “I decided that might be a little dramatic, plus we could needlessly injure ourselves. It’s nearly eleven. Arcadeland will be closed. We’ll go in on foot, probably through a side door. I’m not sure how we’ll access the basement. We’ll have to improvise. Plan to storm in and play rough.”
This late there was only modest traffic on the roads. With every moment that passed, Trevor gained confidence that Jonas couldn’t harm him. He felt eager to be in motion and squirmed restively as they made their way to the arcade. At length, Victor eased to a stop a block from Arcadeland.
“Now we wait?” Trevor asked.
“We get out of the van,” Victor said, opening his door. “Then we wait for you to return to normal and instantly make you a bear.”
Victor closed his door and walked around the van. He opened Trevor’s door and let him jump down. They walked to a quiet alleyway.
Trevor could smell a discarded ketchup packet, old gum, and dozens of subtler scents. He followed Victor into the dark alley, aware of how the pads on his feet felt against the asphalt.
“How much longer?” Trevor asked.
Victor checked his watch. “If it lasts half an hour, we need to wait at least ten more minutes.”
“If I eat the bear biscuit now I guess we risk mixing magic,” Trevor said.
“Right. We have to hold off. No telling what would happen otherwise.”
“And I guess we shouldn’t get much closer,” Trevor said.
“Smarter to wait,” Victor said. “I could scout ahead and open the door, but I might get discovered and ruin our surprise. We’ll go together, a guy and his bear.”
The conversation died. Victor seemed content to stand with his hands in his pockets. Trevor paced back and forth, sniffing at the more interesting scents.
When Trevor finally transformed, there was little warning. His body became hot and tingly—then he was on his hands and knees, fully clothed, the box of animal crackers in his hand.
Victor was immediately at his side, the bear biscuit in hand. Trevor chomped it down, hoping Jonas White wouldn’t sense his availability in time to work any magical mischief.
Again heat rushed through him as his body fleshed out and expanded. His muscles ballooned, covered by layers of fat and shaggy fur. Rising up on his hind legs, Trevor looked down at Victor, surprised to stand so much taller than the burly investigator.
“That’s more like it,” Victor said. “Feeling good?”
Trevor dropped down to all fours. “I feel big.” He padded forward, heavy muscles bulging across his back. His hearing had lost some of its edge, but if anything his sense of smell was keener. “Jonas White better watch out.”
“Don’t get too cocky,” Victor said, walking beside him. “The guy is a magician. We’ll keep things quiet for as long as we can. When they come after us, don’t be shy about letting them have it. Tonight we’re playing for keeps. We have to find Mozag and get him out.”
“What about John?” Trevor asked. “What about Pigeon?”
“On our priority list, they rank a distant second,” Victor said. “I mean them no disrespect, but Pigeon and John probably can’t stop Jonas White. Mozag probably can. We need him to fix this mess and save the others.”
“Okay,” Trevor agreed. “But if we can save all three?”
“We save all three. Don’t get me wrong. John and Pigeon could help us fight our way out. I value them. I’d love to spring them as well. But we need to go in with our priorities straight. Once this gets started, I expect things will move quickly. We won’t have lots of time to ponder our options.”
“Got it,” Trevor said.
“This way,” Victor said, speeding up to a run.
Trevor increased his pace. He was not as light on his feet as before, but he could still move rapidly. He expected that at full speed he could easily outrace Victor.
They slowed as they reached Arcadeland. Producing a couple of tools, Victor went to work on a nondescript door. Trevor could hardly believe how quickly he opened it.
“Did you used to be a burglar?” Pigeon asked.
Victor shrugged. “You work as an investigator for almost a hundred years, you pick up a trick or two. Get in there.”
Trevor squeezed through the doorway, brushing the frame on both sides. The main lights were off, leaving the flickering displays of various games to illuminate the room. Trevor smelled no people, but some delicious fragrances beckoned him toward the snack bar.
“Stay with me,” Victor said, trotting past Trevor toward an EMPLOYEES ONLY door across the arcade. Upon arrival, Victor found the door locked, but he again used his tools to remedy the problem.
With the door open, they could hear an alarm blaring. “What did we do?”
“We’re both magically altered,” Victor said. “We probably tripped a warning system as soon as we entered. I bet Jonas didn’t want that kind of alarm heard in the public areas.”
“What now?” Trevor asked.
Victor withdrew a tranquilizer pistol. “We hurry.”
Trevor pressed through the doorway and followed Victor down an industrial hall lined with pipes and wires. His ursine body almost felt too large for the relatively narrow passage.
“Any idea how to get down a level?” Victor asked.
“I’ve never been down there,” Trevor said. “Nate mentioned an elevator.”
Victor tried every door they passed. The first three were unlocked. He poked his head in, then proceeded down the hall. The fourth door was locked.