The Vigiles Urbani Chronicles- Year One

by Ken Lange

  Hesitantly, I slipped it onto my right ring finger. “Thank you.”

  He grinned and patted my arm. “You are most welcome.” Atsidi glanced over at Cole. “I’m really glad we ran into one another.”

  Cole sat up straight. “Why is that?”

  Atsidi frowned. “I was out at the old Sohio Mine in search of new material when a few thugs claiming to work for the museum confronted me. By the look of the place, they’d been out there for quite some time, but that’s beside the point.”

  I leaned my elbows on the table. “Why would a museum be interested in a mine?”

  Cole tittered. “It’s not what you think. The places you’re thinking about have paintings. The one he’s referring to is dedicated to uranium mining.”

  “Oh.”

  Atsidi nodded. “The weird part was they all had thick Russian accents.”

  I handed him Mikhail’s ID. “Was he one of them?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, there were a few other men and a woman with him, but he’s the one who told me he’d shoot me if I came back.”

  Cole grumbled. “You don’t have to worry about him. He’s no longer amongst the living.”

  Atsidi looked between us. “Is that so?”

  I frowned. “It is. He was the necromancer we were telling you about.”

  Hanging his head, he sighed. “Necromancers are an abomination upon this world. If he was with the others, you can bet they’re of a similar ilk. They tend to stick to their own.”

  Kur quickly agreed.

  Finishing the last of my fry bread, I nodded. “That’ll be one of the things we check into next.”

  He gave me a sad smile. “I’m sorry to burden you with such a task. I’d only wanted you to find out if they were smugglers or some other sort of thief.”

  I shook my head. “Think nothing of it. I was going to look into the man anyway, and thanks to you, we now know he has friends. That means we have more people to find, and tend to.”

  Cole grimaced. “We’ll go to the museum after we get the parts for the truck. After that, we’ll stop at the mines to see if the others are there.”

  Once we finished our meal, Atsidi guided us around to the far side of the building and uncovered a perfectly preserved 1943 Willys MB…the iconic Jeep used during World War II. I’d expected it to ride rough, but much like my Tucker, it glided over the terrain with ease.

  It was well after sunset by the time we made it back to the trailer. It took us about fifteen minutes to put everything right with the truck. Satisfied we were safe, Atsidi headed home. It was too late to make it to Grants before the parts stores closed, so we chose to stay put for the night.

  Chapter 9

  February 24th

  In the interest of safety in numbers, we moved the Airstream to Atsidi’s an hour before sunrise. After we finished setting up camp behind his house, I relaxed in a folding chair next to the RV to watch the reds and oranges push back the night.

  Due to the spectacular display of Mother Nature’s handiwork, it took Cole a little prodding to convince me to get back in the truck. In that moment, I would’ve been content to sit there and watch the sky paint itself, but he was insistent that we needed to get to Grants as soon as possible.

  An hour later, we were parked outside the Auto-Zone across the street from an abandoned hotel called Lava-Land. Considering the volcano hadn’t been active in a million years or so, this was a bit of a stretch, marketing wise. Maybe that was why it was out of business. More likely, this tiny town didn’t have a need for multiple hotels.

  The parts store opened a half hour later, and it didn’t take us long to get what we needed to make the necessary repairs. On the way into town, we’d decided we would stop in at the museum first, and see where that led us. There was always time to visit the hardware store where Mikhail had bought the propane canisters later if that didn’t pan out. But, if they treated us anything like the residents of Highland Meadows had, the owners wouldn’t be much help anyway.

  Grants was home to the New Mexico Mining Museum, and if you wanted to know what it was like to mine uranium, they had a hands-on simulation for you to try. Seriously, that was their biggest draw… Come in and learn what it would be like to be trapped underground with massive power tools while you try not to irradiate yourself. As you could probably guess, I’d be skipping that part of the tour.

  We were parked for about twenty minutes before a white Mercedes SLK convertible pulled into the side lot. The woman inside made a show of applying her lipstick and checking her makeup. Eventually, she stepped out of the car, and the morning sun glinted off her copper hair. The dark navy-blue pantsuit she was wearing was a stark contrast to her alabaster skin. She glanced over at us before making her way to the front door to unlock it.

  Cole and I got out of the truck and hustled across the sidewalk to where she stood holding the door open for us. When I got close enough, I read her name tag: Ruth Miller, Curator.

  Ruth offered us a warm smile as she stepped back to make room. “Good morning, gentlemen.” Once we were inside, she made her way over the threshold. “Welcome, I hope the two of you enjoy your visit. If there’s anything I can do to assist you, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

  I inclined my head. “Thanks… Actually, there is something you might be able to help us with.”

  Annoyance flashed in her eyes, but the smile remained. “Oh, and what’s that?”

  I suppose the offer to help was just one of those things she said, since it was clear she wasn’t happy about following through. If that wasn’t enough to make me dislike her already, her ingratiating tone was exceptionally irritating.

  Even so, I fished Mikhail’s ID out of my pocket and showed it to her. “Do you know this man?”

  Her expression soured as she shook her head. “No. Why do you ask?”

  Tucking the photo away, I shrugged. “It appears he’s been telling folks around here that he works for you…or the museum, more accurately.”

  Ruth’s lips twitched downward. “I see.” She folded her arms and blew out an irritated breath. “May I ask who you are, and why you’re interested in him?”

  I grabbed my wallet and showed her my Archive ID. “My name is Gavin Randall, and I’m with the Uncommon Crimes Division of Interpol. The man I showed you earlier is a person of interest.” Pausing, I let the implication set in for a second. “Are you sure he doesn’t work here?”

  Her gaze fixed on the back of my hand, she pointed at it. “You must take your job very seriously to get it etched into your flesh like that.”

  I closed my eyes and put away my wallet. “It’s part of the initiation process. Or so I’ve been told, anyway.”

  Disapproval wrote itself across her delicate features. “Boys and their fraternities…I’ll never understand the thrill.” She flicked a manicured nail at my pocket. “As for the man in the photo, I can assure you he isn’t an employee.” Her laugh was short and bitter. “Our budget here barely pays my salary. The other two full-timers are in their sixties.” She waved a hand out at the empty room. “Everyone else who comes here to help out is a volunteer…and there are fewer and fewer of them these days.”

  Frustration crept into my voice. “I see…”

  Cole cut in. “Do you have any volunteers at the old Sohio Mine?”

  Ruth cut her eyes at him and furrowed her brow. “I don’t think so. Why do you ask?”

  I held out my hand to stop her questions. “I’d rather not get into specifics, but if you could somehow make sure no one from the museum is out there, we’d be grateful.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Fine.” Spinning on her heel, she gestured for us to follow. “Come with me, and I’ll double-check the books…if that’s what it’ll take to get you two off my case. I do have a museum to run, after all.”

  She made a show of sashaying her hips from side to side as we followed her up the stairs. While I was sure most men would’ve appreciated the view, I wasn’t one of them. Even the Grim stirred, and
that same irrational irritation cropped up in the back of my mind. There was something about this town, or maybe it was being so close to the Grants, that annoyed me on a fundamental level.

  At the top of the stairs, Ruth pulled open a glass door that led into a spacious office. “If you two will have a seat, it’ll only take a moment to grab the logs and see if we’ve got anything going on…anywhere.” She let out an exasperated breath. “It’s the least I can do for… Who did you say you were with again?”

  She damn well knew who I was with, and why I was here. Pushing down my indignation, I answered. “The Uncommon Crimes Division of Interpol, better known as the UCD.”

  “Uh-huh.” She flipped through several files as her tone became disinterested. “I’m not sure what you guys are doing out here. This is one of the dullest places on the planet.” Glancing over her shoulder, she huffed out a laugh. “In fact, having an Interpol agent in my office is probably the most exciting thing to happen in this town in the last century.”

  I shrugged. “That may be, but I still need to know if you have any stray volunteers you may’ve forgotten about.”

  She let out an annoyed groan. “If you’ll give me a minute, you’ll see that I’m trying to help… Oh, here we go.” Pulling out a thick leather-bound ledger, she turned around and kicked the cabinet closed. “Believe it or not, this place isn’t as popular as it used to be, and it’s rare to have an offsite dig going on. I mean, it isn’t as if we get a lot of funding. What little we do get goes to keeping the doors open. So, even if we wanted to do something out that way, we don’t have the resources.”

  Sloths were faster than this woman. “I understand. There seem to be a lot of governmental budget cuts going on lately.”

  Ruth strolled over to her desk and opened the ledger. “You’re telling me.” She slowly scanned several pages before shrugging noncommittally and handing it to Cole. “As I’ve stated, no one on the books is doing any sort of work for us…anywhere…just in case you have questions about other locations.” Leaning against the desk, she gave me a haughty look. “Ever think that there’s a chance the information you were given was wrong?”

  Cole didn’t even look at it before handing it to me. More out of aggravation than anything else, I leafed through it. The only thing of interest in the pages was the fact Lewis’s name was scribbled into the margins over and over again. It appeared he never missed a chance to snap up a piece of property that’d been managed by the museum over the years. While it didn’t appear criminal, it did strike me as odd. Why was he buying up so much property?

  I got to my feet and returned the book to Ruth. “Thanks, for your…help. Sorry to have troubled you this morning.”

  She held up a finger to stop us from leaving, and her voice had an edge to it. “Wait.”

  Eyeing her curiously, I rolled my hand for her to continue. “Yes?”

  Ruth squared her shoulders. “If you find anything of note when you visit, would you be kind enough to call the office and leave a message? We don’t need to be caught up in some sort of PR nightmare. It could mean the end of this place.”

  Her request seemed legitimate, but much like Lewis’s name in the ledger, it struck me as strange. “I might be persuaded to do that, if you answer a question for me.”

  Her eyes narrowed, and her tone became frosty. “What’s that?”

  Nodding at the book, I grimaced. “It appears Lewis Grant has bought a lot of land from the museum that was once owned by either the local or federal government. Any idea why?”

  She balled up her fists, and blood rushed to her cheeks. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Mr. Grant has been kind enough to purchase those parcels to help keep us afloat. It isn’t like the feds are going to bail us out or anything. So, we have to do whatever it takes to ensure our survival. Sometimes that means a cash influx from a sale of useless property.”

  Cole growled. “Of course, the fact that the Navajo were disputing the ownership of that land in court had nothing to do with it.”

  A dangerous smile crossed her lips. “You know, that never occurred to me until just now… Interesting.”

  He stepped forward, and I put a hand on his chest. “Easy now. I’m sure it’ll all work out.”

  Ruth tittered. “I have a feeling you’re right.” She glanced up at me. “Other than Mr. Grant being a philanthropist, are there any more questions?”

  I frowned. “Not exactly the word I’d use for the guy, but no…no other questions for now.”

  She held up her hand. “I did fulfill my end of the bargain, so you’ll tell me if you find anything when you go out to the mine?”

  I folded my arms. “I said I might be persuaded, and at the moment, I’m not.”

  She giggled. “Oh, did I hurt your feelings?”

  Laughing, I shook my head. “Not in the slightest, but you aren’t exactly on my Christmas list either.” I pulled out my card and handed it to her. “Tell you what. If you can be civil and come up with anything helpful, we can renegotiate.”

  Ruth tossed it on her desk. “Hardly seems worth it.” She pointed at the door. “If that’s all, I really do need to get to work.”

  I nodded. “Have a good day, Ruth.”

  She folded her arms. “Ms. Miller will be fine.”

  Resisting the urge to punch her in the face, I clamped my mouth shut before following Cole down the stairs out to the truck.

  He grimaced. “That woman knows something.”

  I shrugged. “She might, but we don’t have anything on her other than that she’s a bitch.” My stomach growled, and I patted it. “I guess getting irritated makes me hungry.”

  Cole checked his watch and grinned. “We’ve got time to stop at Taco Village before we head out.”

  I rubbed my forehead. “Is it any good?”

  He laughed. “You’ll love it.”

  “Fine, let’s do it.”

  He started the engine and pulled into traffic.

  Chapter 10

  To me, the word mine had always evoked an image of a cave, but this place was more or less a deep squarish pit. So, needless to say, not what I was expecting. Weirdly, it was supposed to have been abandoned sometime back in the nineties, but the earth had recently been tilled. And I wasn’t talking about a spot here and there. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to dig up the entire thing…that being about a half mile wide and deep.

  Why would anyone bother?

  At the far side of the pit, near the murky green pools of water, the sunlight glinted off something small and shiny. When it happened a second time, I put a hand on Cole’s shoulder, and pushed. Maybe I’d put a bit too much oomph into it, though, because he landed hard against the fender of his truck.

  As for me, my subconscious must’ve thought I was moving a bit too slowly, because a thick layer of hardened darkness wrapped itself around my body. Something hit me in the chest with enough force to take me off my feet and knock the breath out of me. As my back slammed into the ground, the sound of a high caliber bullet being fired reached my ears.

  I lay there for a second as I tried to catch my breath, which came back in a painful, ragged gasp. Grunting, I rolled onto all fours and crawled over to Cole, who hunkered nearer to the wheel as I approached.

  His gaze continued to trek up and down my body as his expression fluctuated between horror and annoyance. “What the fuck, man?”

  Shaking my head, I leaned against the tire. “Huh?”

  He waved a hand at me. “What the hell is that? And is someone shooting at us?”

  I shrugged. “No idea, and yeah, someone’s taking potshots from across the way.”

  Closing his eyes, he nodded, and in an instant, a silver light enveloped him from head to toe. He dropped his hand onto the six-shooter on his hip and eased up to the bumper.

  I grabbed his arm to stop him. “Hey, they’re at least a half mile out. There’s nothing you can do with that thing.”

  His eyes flickered down to my hand, and I removed it
. Adjusting his grasp on the grip, he grinned. “About that…”

  Cole leaned around the front of the vehicle and fired a shot, and the earth exploded in front of the pool across the way.

  Stupidly, I got to my feet and sprinted down the hill. My only thought was to pour on the speed in the hope of getting there before they got their shit together and put a hole through me. While I was sure that this…armor was some stout stuff, I wasn’t so sure it’d take a second round at close range, and I really didn’t want to find out the hard way, if that were at all possible.

  I reached the base of the mine, where it leveled out into little more than a killing field, and pondered my mistake, because this was one of my dumber ideas. There was no place to hide, no cover, and if some asshole were to fire again, they’d be hard-pressed to miss. It wasn’t like it would be any smarter at this point to turn back, though, so I kept running. I was about a hundred yards out when the telltale flash of a sniper scope glinted in the sun once more. Well, shit.

  In an instant, the world around me turned blue, and I was across the expanse. My forward momentum carried me into a thin yet muscular man with straggly blond hair and ice blue eyes. The impact knocked the gun barrel aside, and he stumbled back as he fired the weapon. The explosion made my ears ring, and the muzzle flash blinded me for a second. Before I could catch my balance, a fist slammed into my jaw.

  My sight returned as I lurched back. He ducked low and drove his shoulder into my gut. Twisting, he forced us into the deceptively deep, murky water and pulled me several feet below the surface. It was a matter of seconds before the light dimmed. When he released me, the water turned thick, and it was difficult to move. Then he was gone. Holding my breath, I struggled upward, eventually breaking through the water and gulping in a breath of air. I clawed at the hard earth, and it took all my strength to tug myself free of the gelatinous muck.

  Staggering to my feet, I looked around. Cole was about halfway across, and a minute or two later, he jogged up beside me, panting hard. “How the hell did you get here so fast?”