The Vigiles Urbani Chronicles- Year One

by Ken Lange

  The downside to sitting in one place for any length of time was that it significantly raised our chances of meeting one of Lewis’s thugs. Which was a bad thing, because with the necromancers, a pile of undead, and God knew what else, my nerves were wearing thin. Hopefully, Alexander’s rental would make finding us a bit tougher, and maybe allow us to eat our meal in peace.

  Even so, I warned Alexander about the possibility, and asked him to refrain from killing anyone. With him working on little to no sleep for the last several days, he agreed to try, but couldn’t promise anything.

  Unfortunately, my expectations of the place were met the instant we walked in. Everything inside the restaurant was straight out of the late seventies, with mauve chairs, dim lighting, and poorly done dark wood paneling. I guess for a steak house in the middle of nowhere, it wasn’t that bad, but it certainly wasn’t my style… Call me crazy, but I liked being able to see what I was eating. To make matters worse, the hostess kept us waiting several minutes before seating us, even though the place was empty.

  After she left us, I scanned the menu and settled on a ribeye, baked potato, and an ice tea.

  Setting the menu aside, I sighed. “At least we’ll have something in our stomach for the second half of the day.”

  Alexander chuckled. “Don’t be so quick to give up. If they’re in town, we’ll find them.”

  I put my elbows on the table and shook my head. “But what if they’re not?”

  He shrugged. “One way or another, they’ll turn up. I’ve got two of my best trackers joining us.” Leaning back in his seat, he shrugged. “On my best day, I’m little more than an amateur compared to either of them.”

  “If you say so.” I held up my hand to cut him off, and greeted the waitress. “Ma’am.”

  She grinned. “Afternoon, gentlemen. My name is Estella, and I’ll be your server today.” Her eyes flicked over me and landed on Alexander, and her smile grew. “What can I start you off with today?”

  He pointed at the back of the menu. “I’ll take whatever’s on tap, and a water.”

  Estella turned to me. “And you?”

  With a finger, I edged the menu toward her. “Ice tea.”

  She frowned and scribbled it down. “I’ll be back shortly with your drinks.”

  Alexander chuckled. “She doesn’t seem impressed with your drink selection.”

  I smiled. “She’ll get over it.”

  Estella arrived a couple of minutes later with our drinks and took our orders. After the first steak, I was still hungry and ordered a second. I guess hanging around Hayden was doing weird shit to my appetite. But it was unfair to blame her; I’d already noticed a steady uptick in my food intake over the last several months, but this was getting ridiculous.

  I’d just paid for our meal when the door opened, and an attractive brunette stepped in. She was all of five-two, thin, and she wore a grim expression as she strode toward the bar. Normally, she wouldn’t have caught my attention for more than a second or two, but the way Alexander’s eyes fixed on her told me she was important.

  He glanced over at me and nodded. “She was there.”

  I returned the gesture. “Okay.” Getting to my feet, I motioned for him to do the same. “Time to go.”

  His eyes narrowed, and he whispered, “What?”

  Frowning, I gestured at him to hurry up. “Come on. I’m not going to accost the woman in public, for God’s sake.”

  I pulled out my phone and took a couple of photos before walking out to the parking lot. In an attempt to keep from spooking her, we moved our SUV down the block and waited. Fortunately for us, she’d ordered takeout and was carrying several bags of food. I kept a respectable distance between us when she made her way across town to a tourist trap…I mean art studio-slash-memorabilia shop on Route 66.

  We found a place to park in a lot across the street. It may not seem very discreet, but the four lanes of highway between us took care of that. It was our good fortune that a large plate glass window spanned most of the front. The small woman carried the bags in and was quickly out of sight. A few minutes later, the asshole who’d shot me stepped into view.

  I leaned my forearms against the steering wheel. “Well, it appears we’ve found all of them.”

  Alexander cocked his head at me. “How can you be sure?”

  I pointed at the man through the window. “See that blond guy there?”

  He nodded. “Yeah.”

  Touching the sore spot in the center of my chest, I said, “That’s the dick who tried to put me down the other day.”

  His eyes narrowed as he turned back to the man. “You killed one, captured another, and we’ve spotted two more…that leaves one left to find.”

  I frowned. “Yeah, and I’m betting they’re inside.” He gripped the latch, and I held my hand out to stop him. “Wait…I want to see if they go anywhere.”

  Grumbling, he asked, “Why?”

  I leaned back in my seat. “I find it hard to believe they’re here randomly. And if I’m right, there’s a good chance they’ll lead us to whoever’s in charge.”

  Alexander glanced up and down the street. “Really? You think they’re answering to some sort of criminal mastermind…in this shithole of a town?” He shook his head. “It’s way more likely they’re just a bunch of assholes using this town as a cover to build their undead army.”

  “You might be right, but there’s no harm in waiting to make sure.” He didn’t seem convinced, and I sighed. “Tell you what, let’s just hang out for a while, and if they don’t give us something by morning, we’ll do it your way. Sound good?”

  Frankly, I wanted nothing more than to go over there and stomp their faces in. But that wouldn’t solve the problem, especially if they had helpers, or answered to someone else.

  About twenty minutes later, my phone rang. “Hello?”

  Hayden’s voice was full of curiosity. “Where did you guys duck off to?”

  I kept my gaze locked on the window of the shop. “We’re following up on a couple of leads. How about you? Are you back?”

  She grunted. “Not yet, but I can be there in seconds if needed.”

  Nodding, I massaged the side of my head. “We’re fine for now. Please tell me that they’ve given you something useful.”

  She blew out a long breath. “Not a lot. From what I understand, they’re there to oversee a project called Dust Walkers.”

  I groaned. “In other words, zombie central.”

  She chuckled. “Pretty much. Other than that, he hasn’t given us much of anything else.”

  Closing my eyes, I asked, “When should we expect you back?”

  Her voice tensed. “I’m not sure. There’s a situation in New Orleans that needs tending to—which means I could be a bit. But in the meantime, this is my direct number. If something comes up, call me, and I’ll be there.”

  I glanced at the phone, and sure enough, her number was there. “Okay, no problem.”

  She ended the call.

  Turning to Alexander, I said, “Guess we’re on our own for now.”

  Concern crossed his face. “She is coming back, isn’t she?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, but it might be a day or so.”

  Shortly after dark, I managed to convince him to go check on Cole and pick up some stakeout food on the way back. It left me on foot, but I was hoping I’d be able to keep up with them if they left the place. Then again, they may’ve spotted us and used an atman stone. In which case, we were all sorts of screwed.

  Eventually, those fears were put to rest when the brunette made her way to the front to lock up and turn off the lights. The wait was the toughest part of any job, but I’d had plenty of practice. I would’ve normally spent the time finding the best way in and out of the situation after I pulled the trigger or extracted the target. Tonight, however, I was bored.

  My greatest hope was that this wouldn’t turn into a massive firefight, because I had no idea how to fight necromancers. Walter had been my
first, and last, experience with them, as far as one-on-one went. And his fight had been a little anticlimactic because he’d used his stone to try to murder me. All that did was allow me to drain him and his stone of power. I didn’t know how I’d stack up against one of the members of the Onyx Mind. While magic wasn’t an issue, I wasn’t so sure about necromancy.

  As it stood, specters could hurt me, even if it was temporary, and zombies had all my powers stumped. I wasn’t sure what other abilities a necromancer might possess, so it was difficult to plan accordingly. Nights like this made me miss the times when all I had to worry about were things that went boom.

  It was a little after ten when Alexander showed up with plenty of snacks and a bedroll in the back, ready to take the next shift. But I insisted he get a few hours shut-eye. A little after one, he woke up, and I crashed out.

  Chapter 21

  March 1st

  What little sleep I’d managed had been fitful at best. My dreams were fragmented, and I couldn’t tell if they were figments of my imagination or Kur’s memories. The only positive was that I’d been comfortable. Which was probably more than a little messed up. Who in their right mind preferred the back of an SUV to a soft, cushy mattress?

  I rolled back the blanket and crawled up to tap Alexander. “You want to catch a few more zees?”

  He shook his head. “Nah, I’m good for now, but thanks.”

  I patted him on the shoulder, and snaked into the passenger seat beside him. “Anything new?”

  Alexander yawned. “Nope. As far as I can tell, they haven’t left the building.” He leaned forward, placing his elbows on top of the wheel. “I want to get a closer look once they open.”

  That idea didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t want to send him in there on his own against three uber powerful necromancers, and I couldn’t go with him since one of them knew my face. In the end, that left me little to no choice in the matter.

  “As much as I dislike the idea, it’s probably our only option.” Turning to him, I sighed. “You realize you’ll be on your own over there, and it’ll take me several seconds to get to you if things go wrong.”

  He nodded. “I know, but we need to find out what we’re up against.”

  I wiped the last of the sleep out of my eyes. “Agreed.”

  His tone was entirely too cheerful given the hour. “Besides, with a little luck it’ll go smoothly, and I’ll be in and out before they’re the wiser.”

  Choking back a chuckle, I shook my head. “Yeah, right…when’s the last time something worked out that well for you?”

  He rolled his shoulders. “There’s always a first time.”

  I covered my mouth to stifle a yawn. “Sure there is.”

  His laughter was deep and rich. “Has anyone ever told you you’re a real grouch in the morning?”

  I grunted and rubbed my face. “The time of the day has nothing to do with it.”

  Alexander grinned. “Oh, and what does?”

  Thumbing over my shoulder, I stretched. “Waking up…especially after a shitty night’s sleep.”

  He frowned. “Yeah, you were tossing and turning back there.”

  My cheeks burned. “I was?” He nodded. “Sorry about that.”

  He shrugged. “No worries. But back on topic, if anything goes wrong, you can be across the street in less than a minute. I should be able to hold my own until you get there.”

  I gestured at his phone. “Keep the line open when you go. That way I don’t have to guess when things go sideways.”

  He nodded. “Sounds simple enough.”

  Leaning my head against the seat, I chuckled.

  It was nearly half an hour before the brunette strolled in from the back, turned on the open sign, and unlocked the door. That was Alexander’s cue. He got out of the vehicle, dialed my number, and dropped his phone into his shirt pocket before walking across the street.

  All I could do was answer the call and wait for whatever came next. Yeah, it was exactly as exciting as it sounds. Not only did I get to watch him cross the four-lane highway, there was also the audio to go along with it…which was mostly his mobile jostling around in his shirt pocket.

  Lucky me.

  A chime sounded when the door opened, and silence quickly followed. A few seconds later, a soft female voice with a thick Russian accent came across the speaker. “Good morning. Is there anything I can help you find?”

  Alexander’s voice was pleasant. “Maybe…I’m looking for something for my niece as a housewarming present. Could you suggest something she might be interested in that isn’t too big…or small, for that matter.”

  The woman spoke again. “Da. I’m Diana, and you are?”

  He cleared his throat. “Alexander.”

  Diana’s voice grew louder. “Pleasure to meet you. Are you looking for a painting or a sculpture?”

  His voice was flat. “What would you suggest?”

  She clucked her tongue. “Hmmm. Does she have a lot of floor space?”

  There was rustling as the phone scraped against his shirt. “Not really.”

  She chuckled. “Painting… If you’ll come this way, I have just the thing.” There was silence for a few seconds then she spoke again. “Erik.”

  A male voice responded. “Da?”

  Diana spoke again. “Would you bring me Artur’s latest work?”

  Erik mumbled something I couldn’t understand then said, “He isn’t going to like you selling that one.”

  Her voice hardened as she started speaking Russian. “The other one is across the street in the SUV. Get Artur and bring him to me.” In English again, she said, “Sorry about that. It sometimes takes a bit of convincing for my people to do what they’re told. But I’m sure you’ll love this piece. It’s a sunset in the desert near an abandoned stretch of Route 66.”

  Apparently, the jig was up, and had been for some time. But why had they waited for us to make the first move? Whatever the reason, it only left me a couple of options: stay put and let her lapdogs fetch me, or pop across the street and start raising nine types of hell. The way I saw it, I had the advantage here as they didn’t realize that I knew what was up. With that in mind, I took option one.

  Alexander was quiet for a moment. “That’s an awfully big gun for such a little lady.”

  She laughed. “Sit tight. We’ll have your friend here in a moment.”

  Her goons were coming up behind the truck. Which was an interesting turn of events since I hadn’t spotted them crossing the road. I ended the call and stuck the phone in my pocket.

  The blond knocked on the driver’s window. “Out.”

  Ah, this was Erik. Good to put a name to the man who’d tried to kill me. After opening the door, I kept my hands up in the hopes that he wouldn’t shoot me in public—I wasn’t sure there was enough time for my armor to materialize if he opened fire at close range.

  I stepped out of the vehicle and held up the keys. “Mind if I lock up? I’d hate someone to steal it while we’re inside.”

  Erik rolled his eyes. “Not like you’ll need it again, but sure, go ahead.”

  I clicked the button on the keyring, and the doors locked. “Thanks.” Gesturing across the street, I sighed. “If it’s okay with you two, let’s take the direct route. I’m not going to try to get away.”

  The other man, who I was guessing was Artur, was a few inches shorter than me, but made up for that by being massive everywhere else. He sauntered up to me and gripped my shoulder. “Try anything stupid, and I’ll snap your neck. Understand?”

  I nodded. “No problem.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Keep your mouth shut.”

  They perp-marched me across the highway and in the front door, which Erik quickly locked. He pointed toward the back of the shop. “Keep going.”

  We made our way through the main shop, past the storeroom, and into the next building, which I hadn’t realized was connected. This place was a cross between a boardroom and den. I guessed that the upper level
contained their sleeping quarters, but they probably weren’t going to give me a tour of the place to confirm.

  Alexander was on the far side of the room, casually leaning against the wall. His gaze fell on me, and he smirked at Diana. “My boss is here. Any questions you might have can be directed to him.”

  She huffed. “You’re making yourself more expendable by the second.”

  He snickered as he pointed at me. “I’m a betting man, and my money’s on him.”

  Diana sneered. “You expect me to be afraid of Lazarus’s latest lackey? His first one wasn’t much of a challenge, and I suspect this one will be less so.”

  Anger coiled inside me, and I glared at her. “You knew my predecessor.”

  She scoffed. “I had the pleasure of being there when Chandra cut Naevius’s throat and ripped out his soul to be used as her plaything.”

  Could this be the same necromancer Viktor had told me about? Well, there was an easy enough way to find out.

  Keeping my gaze on Diana, I asked, “Would that be Chandra Raghnailt?”

  The lot of them stood stock-still, which more or less confirmed that it was.

  Diana was the first to regain her composure. “How do you know that name?”

  I smirked. “I’ve got a friend who’ll be thrilled to find out she’s still alive.”

  Erick roughly shoved me toward Alexander. “Answer the question.”

  Diana held out a hand to stop him. “Easy now. He only thinks he knows something about us. Truth is, he’s fishing.”

  Chuckling, I shook my head. “Then I’m one hell of a fisherman.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Oh, really?”

  “Yep.”

  She gestured for me to continue. “Then tell me, what is it that you think you know?”

  I suppressed a snicker. “More than you’d like, I’m sure.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Such as?”

  “If I had to guess, you three are part of the Onyx Mind, which is a subset of the Black Circle.”