“That’s the politest way I’ve ever heard a bank robbery described.”
Caina had managed to find a parking spot only five blocks away. We got into her unremarkable blue car and drove off.
“All right,” said Caina. “First bank on the list, United Banking of Western Brooklyn.”
New York had a lot of different banks, and I knew why. Martin Corbisher had been the chief financier of the Rebels, and he had also been an enormous asshole. (He had also been running for governor of Minnesota until I blew up his life, but that was another story.) Despite that, Corbisher had been a financial genius, and if the battle of New York had gone differently, he probably would have wound up as the finance minister of whatever totalitarian government Nicholas erected out of the ashes. Corbisher had explained that one of the chief reasons that pre-Conquest societies had failed was the concentration of too much power and money into too few banks and that even when they didn’t fail large banks inevitably caused social chaos. Consequently, the High Queen and the Elven nobles prevented any banks from getting too large or too powerful, one of the few royal policies that Corbisher had liked. (I think Nicholas had planned to shoot any surviving bankers once he took over.) Certainly, bankers turned up a lot on Punishment Day videos. I think there were something like a hundred different banks in the New York metropolitan area, none of them too large or powerful.
The flip side of this was that all the different banks made it easy for a guy like Sulzer to hide his money. Then again, Sulzer hadn’t hidden his money well enough to conceal it from someone like me, or an investigator like Caina.
United Banking of Western Brooklyn was a stately building that looked like a Roman temple, but the marble was actually painted stucco. Caina and I walked into the lobby, a long rectangular room with a counter for tellers, and Caina requested a meeting with a banker. She claimed to be an asset manager for the estate of a wealthy industrialist, and was interested in moving some of her client’s assets into CDs and bonds. I pretended to be Caina’s personal assistant, taking notes diligently on a legal pad.
I was actually noting the location of the bank’s safe deposit boxes and security cameras.
Five minutes into the banker’s pitch, I pretended to get a phone call for Caina, and she told me to take it in the car. I walked out of the bank’s front doors, Cloaked, and darted back inside before the doors closed. I reached into the pocket of my jacket and fished out a pair of latex gloves, tugging them over my hands. Wrapped in the invisibility of the Cloak spell, I hurried to the counter, climbed over it, and walked past the rows of counting machines and printers.
Then I slipped into the bank’s vault, the walls lined with safe deposit boxes.
As skilled as I had become with the Cloak spell, I still couldn’t use any other spells while it was in place. I ducked behind the vault door, out of sight of the security cameras, and dropped my Cloak and cast the Masking spell. I disguised myself as a random Homeland Security officer, wrapping myself in the illusion of a middle-aged man in a blue uniform. When the bank’s security people reviewed the footage later, the sight of a Homeland Security officer who did not actually exist would throw off any attempt to track us down.
I walked to the safe-deposit box that Joseph Sulzer had rented through his shell company. A quick spell of telekinetic force opened the lock, and I slid it open.
It didn’t have anything useful. I saw a pouch of diamonds and another of sapphires. There were several cardboard sleeves of gold coins. Sulzer had been clever enough to move some of his wealth into an anonymous and portable form. In the old days, I would have helped myself to the gems and gold to finance my efforts, but since I was a royal shadow agent now, I didn’t. I relocked the safe deposit box, ducked behind the vault door and Cloaked again, and walked outside the bank, tucking away the gloves as I did.
Then I dropped the Cloak and strode briskly back to Caina’s meeting with the banker. She thanked him, took his brochures, and promised to get in touch once she had spoken with her client.
“Anything?” said Caina as we left the bank.
“Nothing useful,” I said. “A couple hundred thousand dollars worth of diamonds, sapphires, and gold coins. No documents, though.”
Caina nodded and put her sunglasses back on as we approached her car. “That’s probably his emergency stash. If he needs to flee the country or go underground, he’ll take the gems and run. If we spook him badly enough that he runs for it, he’ll head here first. Might be a good way to catch him.”
“Well,” I said as Caina unlocked the car doors, “there are four more banks. We might find something more useful at one of them.”
The next two banks were a bust. We repeated the same tactics, with Caina as an imperious asset manager interested in purchasing bonds and CDs and me as her beleaguered personal assistant. I was struck again by how good of an actress Caina was. She disappeared into the role of the asset manager, and she did it so well that none of the bankers showed an iota of suspicion about who she really was. For that matter, none of them seemed surprised when I had to slip out to take a phone call for my demanding boss.
In the safe deposit box at the second bank, I found more gems and gold coins, along with the deeds to a couple of places in Brooklyn and (if I read the Spanish correctly) what appeared to be several properties in Bogotá, Colombia. If the gold and gems were his emergency money, I was willing to bet that the houses in Bogotá were his bolt hole. Sulzer must have realized there was a possibility that the Rebels were going to lose, and had prepared to escape if necessary.
Though if he was ready to go on the run, why hang out in New York and cast spells of necromancy?
The safe deposit box at the third bank held a collection of bearer bonds, but no documents.
At the fourth bank, though, I found all kinds of interesting things.
The fourth bank was in Manhattan. It had the pompous name of the Grand United New York Bank, and it was on Wall Street, not that far from the New York Stock Exchange. Like the first bank, it looked like a fake Roman temple. Unlike the first bank, it was built of actual marble and could have doubled as a courthouse or maybe a really fancy library. The Grand United New York Bank was the most prestigious bank in New York, and a lot of rich people banked here.
Of course, they accepted a guy like Sulzer, so maybe their standards weren’t so high after all.
The lobby was a vast space with polished marble floors and ornate pillars. It had clearly been built in imitation of the Royal Bank in Washington DC. A long counter of polished oak stood at the end of the lobby, perfectly coiffed and suited tellers standing behind it. Dozens of desks stood in the lobby, the bankers seated at them typing and talking into phones and generally looking productive. The place was busy enough that Caina and I had to wait forty minutes to see a banker.
Once we did, I repeated my usual procedure. I ducked outside, Cloaked, slipped back into the lobby, donned my gloves, and vaulted over the counter and headed for the safe deposit vaults. There were four vaults with safe deposit boxes behind the counter, and it took me a moment to locate the vault that held Sulzer’s box. Once I did, I ducked behind the vault door, Masked myself as a Homeland Security officer, and headed towards his box.
And as I did, I froze in surprise.
I felt a magical aura in the vault, something cold and corrupt and crawling. Dark magic?
No. Necromancy.
I worked the spell to detect magical forces, and I sensed the cold power radiating from Sulzer’s safe deposit box.
Bingo.
Despite the necromantic aura, I didn’t detect any warding spells on the safe deposit box, so I cast the spell to open locks and slid it open. Inside were deeds to various properties in Brooklyn, and I took quick pictures of them with my phone. I could sort through them with Caina later.
Beneath the deeds was a book.
It wasn’t a large book, about the size of a trade paperback, and it was only an inch thick. It had the look of a journal or an expensive no
tebook, and the leather cover was cracked and worn. There were Elven hieroglyphics on the cover, and the symbols glowed with sickly green light. I started to reach for the book and then stopped. If there was a necromantic spell on the thing, touching it was probably a bad idea.
Instead, I cast a minor spell of telekinetic force, grasping the cover with my thoughts. I used the spell to open the book and flip through the pages, and I saw rows and rows of Elven hieroglyphs, some of them accompanied by diagrams. I could only read some of the formal Elven hieroglyphs, but the ones I understood spoke of torture and death and spells of blood. The diagrams only reinforced that impression. They showed pictures of Elves being vivisected, probably while still alive, and more hieroglyphs explained how to use the various parts of an Elven corpse for necromantic purposes.
There were also detailed instructions on how to create an undead creature.
I wasn’t sure, but I thought this book was a beginner’s guide to necromantic magic. Like, the textbook for Necromancy 101. Someone like Vastarion had been far more powerful and advanced, but if Sulzer was teaching himself necromancy, this book would be a good starting point. Maybe Vastarion himself had given Sulzer the book.
I closed the book, took a picture of the cover, and then closed and locked the safe deposit box. Then I ducked behind the door, Cloaked, and headed back outside, hurrying across the bank’s lobby as fast as I could. Once I left the bank, I dropped my Cloak and walked back into the building and to the desk where Caina was meeting with the banker. I was breathing a little hard, and a faint sheen of sweat had appeared on my forehead. I could stay Cloaked while moving for around twelve minutes, maybe thirteen if I really concentrated, but it was still a strain.
“Are you all right?” said Caina. “You look like you were in a hurry.”
“Sorry to rush, ma’am,” I said, “but I got another call from the office. The documents you have been waiting for have arrived.”
“They have?” said Caina, raising her eyebrows. “Well, that is a pleasant surprise.” She turned to the banker. “I hope you’ll excuse me, but urgent business calls. I’ll discuss the details of your offer with my client and contact you if a decision is reached.”
The banker made apologetic noises, passed Caina another pamphlet about the Grand United New York Bank’s bond offerings, and then we left. We crossed the lobby and emerged back into the sunshine. It was just about noon, and the street was full of cars and the sidewalk filled with pedestrians hoping to get some lunch from the food carts lining the street. Caina and I descended the broad stairs that led to the bank’s door, and then we stepped back from the flow of traffic, putting our backs to the wall.
“What did you find?” said Caina in a low voice, putting her sunglasses back on.
“Some deeds for properties in Brooklyn and Queens,” I said. “I didn’t have time to take a good look at them, but none of the deeds are registered to his official companies. But I found a book with a powerful necromantic aura on it. It’s written in Elven hieroglyphics, and I think it’s a manual of necromantic spells.”
“Would another wizard recognize it?” said Caina.
“Instantly,” I said. “I felt its aura in the vault, and I wasn’t even checking for magic. I think we just need to make an anonymous call to the Inquisition. Any Elf who happens to stand in that vault would feel the presence of the book. That will get Sulzer arrested and have him turn up on a Punishment Day video, which is what my boss wants.” I looked at Caina. “Would that satisfy your client?”
“It would,” said Caina. “My client wants to resolve the problem of Sulzer’s necromantic activities. That would suffice. We...”
She stiffened and looked to the side.
In the same instant, I felt a flicker of necromantic power nearby.
I turned my head and saw Joseph Sulzer walking towards us.
***
Chapter 7: Complications
Nadia tensed, and Caina saw the faint glow as Nadia started to draw power for a spell.
“No, no, don’t,” said Caina, grabbing Nadia’s shoulder. “Don’t look at them. Talk to me about an office or business or something.”
Nadia blinked and then nodded. “Uh, the documents came in while we were gone, and the next staff meeting will have to be about revising the updated...”
An impressive flow of business-speak came from Nadia. Caina nodded and looked thoughtful and solemn but turned her attention to Sulzer as the Congressman approached. He was wearing an expensive business suit that failed to conceal his paunch and was walking in a hurry. Next to him glided a tall, elegant woman in a white dress and jacket. Her expression was serene and aloof, and her blond hair glinted in the sunlight.
Her appearance was attractive, but it was also fake.
Because it was the product of a Mask spell. Whoever the woman really was, she was using a Mask spell to conceal her appearance.
Behind Sulzer and the woman walked a half-dozen men in suits, their expressions blank, their eyes hidden behind wrap-around sunglasses. They had the tough look of bodyguards, competent ones, and their strides were fluid and quick…
Two details hit Caina’s mind hard.
First, the men weren’t actually breathing.
Second, a powerful aura of necromantic magic surrounded them.
The half-dozen men were undead. She had encountered undead like this several times before, and Caina knew firsthand how fast and strong such creatures were. Caina braced herself as she nodded to Nadia’s speech, preparing to summon her valikon. How had Sulzer known they were there? Had he used magic to locate them? No tracking spell would have worked on Caina, but it might have worked on Nadia. Likely Nadia’s presence had triggered the attack from the specters near the Cattleman’s Pride.
Sulzer and his party walked past Caina and Nadia without a sideways glance. They climbed the stairs to the bank and disappeared through the glass doors.
“Of course,” muttered Nadia. “He’s not here about us. He’s here to pick up his damned book.”
“Damn it,” said Caina. “We had him. All we had to do was to call in that safe deposit box, and he would have been done.”
“That woman with him,” said Nadia. “She has a Masking spell, didn’t she? I could feel it when she went past.”
“Yeah,” said Caina. “And his bodyguards...”
“Undead, all of them,” said Nadia, gazing at the bank doors. Caina nodded. “I’ve fought things like that a couple times before. Even been bitten by one once.”
Caina grimaced. “Bitten?”
“It wasn’t pleasant,” said Nadia. “But we’re not beaten yet, are we?”
“No,” said Caina, thinking it through. “No, we’re not. Almost certainly Sulzer’s here to take the book. When he does, we’ll follow him. If he has a secret location for practicing necromancy somewhere in the city, he’s taking the book there. Once we know the location, we can spy on him some more.”
“Good idea,” said Nadia. “Let’s follow him...”
“Wait!” said Caina. “We can’t just walk into the bank lobby. People don’t loiter there. It will be obvious that we’re following him.”
Nadia nodded, scowled in thought, and then her eyes widened. “I’ll Cloak myself. If I do it out here, Sulzer and the woman won’t be able to sense it.”
“Can undead like that see through a Cloak spell?” said Caina.
Nadia shook her head. “I learned that by putting it to the test.”
“How long can you stay Cloaked?” said Caina.
“About twelve minutes,” said Nadia. She shrugged. “Maybe a little less, since I’ve done it so often today. But if I’m not moving, I can stay Cloaked almost indefinitely.”
“Okay,” said Caina. “Go watch them. Don’t get too close.”
“I have followed people before, yes,” said Nadia, but she smiled. “I’ll come out as soon as they start moving.” She glanced around at the crowds. “Suppose following them in these damn crowds will be a challenge.”
“Not really,” said Caina. “If the book has an arcane aura, I can see it from a long way off. I can even see it through solid walls.”
“You can?” said Nadia. “God, that must give you a headache.”
“It does, sometimes,” said Caina. She had endured splitting migraines until she had learned to control the vision of the valikarion. “But I’ll put up with a headache or two if we can bring Sulzer down.”
“Wait here,” said Nadia.
She turned and jogged up the stairs. Caina watched as Nadia opened the door, and because she was watching for it, she caught the faint flash of silver light of the Cloak spell. Nadia vanished from sight, and Caina leaned against the wall and settled back to wait.
Her mind sorted through various strategies for following Sulzer and his undead entourage. Caina had a gun in her purse, a Royal Arms .45 semiautomatic with an eighteen-round magazine, but that wouldn’t do her much good. The only way to take down an undead corpse with a gun was to put a round through the head since enough damage to the brain would break the spell animating the corpse. Of course, if it came to a fight, she would need to shoot Sulzer and the woman in the Masking spell first, since one of them was probably controlling the undead. Then again, in a gunfight, they would be overpowered. She had seen the shoulder holsters beneath the suit coats of the undead men, and she knew that undead created by a necromancer of sufficient skill could use firearms, sometimes with terrifying accuracy.
Caina had learned that the hard way. Some of Baron Maglarion’s undead had carried AK-47s.
Besides, getting into a fight on Wall Street would draw down the attention of Homeland Security, and innocent people would get killed. Nadia could probably take all the undead with her magic, but Caina didn’t know how much power Sulzer or the Masked woman might have, and Nadia might not be able to handle them both at once. For that matter, if Nadia really cut loose, she might kill some bystanders.
No, better to just follow Sulzer for now. As Caina thought it over, she realized that it would be straightforward to follow Sulzer. Between the Masking spell’s aura, the auras of the undead, and the necromantic spell upon the book, Caina could keep track of Sulzer’s movements from a distance. Given how heavily restricted parking was around the Stock Exchange and Wall Street in general, almost certainly Sulzer and his bodyguards had parked in the same ramp as Caina. If she and Nadia hurried, they could return to the car and follow Sulzer’s party.
Cloak & Ghost: Blood Ring Page 8