Agent Dark- Vegas

by Lane Mason

  “Interesting,” Vesper said. “I’ve never thought of it that way.”

  “Your mother knew the truth, but she didn’t like using that type of magic. She was far more interested in mastering the world of potions to be bothered with the spirit realms.”

  Vesper smiled. That was very true about her mother. She loved potions; it was her passion. When it was time for Vesper to learn other aspects of magic, her mother had given the task to others. “She certainly did.”

  “Which isn’t a bad thing. She made several discoveries that expanded witches’ knowledge of potions. Certain witch schools use her potions as part of their curriculum.”

  “Really? I didn’t know that.”

  “Your mother was as modest as she was talented. In many ways you take after her. Now, unfortunately, I have a prior engagement that I have to attend to. One of my richer clients likes to consult the dead before making new business ventures, and I’m afraid I can’t bluff my way through these consultations. He knows the difference between a real seance and my pageantry, and quite frankly he pays far too well for me to not give him my best effort, so I must go and prepare. But if you are available tomorrow morning, I will assist you in calling on Aucentchamarink, and we shall find you an appropriate demon for your draia friend to have for a familiar.”

  “Thank you, Sebastian. That would be perfect.”

  16

  Kat

  Opening her eyes, Kat stretched out across the comfortable hotel bed. Since they’d left Boston, this was the first really decent sleep she’d had. She’d slept fine at Safe Haven, but just not for long enough to fully recharge.

  After a quick shower, Kat headed to the kitchen. The first thing she spotted was the note on the table from Vesper saying she had an appointment. She wondered what kind of appointment Vesper would have in Vegas, but the fact that she had the morning to herself was a welcome bonus. While Vesper was a great friend and roommate, she wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic about Kat’s new project, and dragging her around to different car dealerships and junk yards wouldn’t be fun.

  Checking the Internet on her phone, Kat confirmed that one of the trucks she’d originally been interested in was still available. Kat opened her Uber app and entered the address, then grabbed her guns and checked the ammo. She really didn’t want to have a gun fight on her holiday, but the chances of the bad guys calling for a timeout seemed unlikely.

  Loading the weapons with the special silver and oak bullets, she wondered if it was the right choice. Vampires and werewolves were susceptible to the bullets, but the holy water bullets were better for demons. During the trip she’d had to deal with one demon, but they’d dealt with multiple human and paranormal attackers. There were no guarantees that she’d run into paranormals next, but so far, the numbers suggested her choice in bullets was the right one, and she did have a couple clips of holy water bullets in her holster just in case.

  After a quick Uber ride, Kat found herself at the car dealership. It wasn’t a new car dealership. It was all older vehicles, and from the looks of it part scrap yard. But her first impression was good. She wasn’t looking for a fancy, overpriced “classic”—she was looking for a cheap reclamation project.

  Kat wandered through the cars and trucks. There were plenty of old muscle cars, and a few trucks that caught her eye, but they all looked to be in good shape and in many cases completely restored to original condition or customized.

  A salesman exited the main building and headed her way.

  “Howdy, Miss. I’m Mad Mike. What can I help you with today?”

  Kat examined the salesman. He was average height, probably in his late fifties or early sixties, dressed in slacks and a short-sleeve white dress shirt. Certainly nothing about his appearance screamed “Mad Mike,” but then Kat remembered the name of the business and looked up at the large sign on the corner of the lot by the entrance. There was a picture of a younger man dressed up like some type of post-apocalypse warrior beside the name Mad Mike’s Classic Auto. “You aren’t the Mad Mike, are you?” Kat asked as she tilted her head towards the sign.

  Mad Mike chuckled. “Yes Ma’am. Although it’s been a few years since I could get away with wearing that outfit.”

  “I was looking at your website and saw you have a sixty-two Dodge truck?”

  “Sure do. It isn’t running, so it’s in the back of the yard with the other parts, cars, and projects. You looking for parts or a project?”

  “Project. I want to restore an older truck and convert it to an electric vehicle.”

  “Sounds interesting. I have a few trucks that might fit what you’re looking for. I gather you’re not worried about a working engine, then.”

  “Nope. I’m looking for a solid frame and a cheap price. Everything after that is a bonus.”

  Mad Mike smiled. “Well, I have a few options that fit your requirements. Normally I don’t sell things that aren’t in running condition, but considering your plans, it wouldn’t matter anyway. And I really don’t have the time to restore all the trucks I have right now, so I think we can come to a deal if something catches your eye. Come on, let’s head out back and take a look.”

  Kat followed Mike towards the back of the yard and behind the building, where there were rows of vehicles that weren’t nearly in as good shape as the ones out front. “You have quite a lot of project cars.”

  “You could say that. I go to a lot of estate sales and bankruptcy sales. I get lots of good vehicles for a fair price that way, but the real gems I find on road trips. I go on and drive through the country, and if I spot an old beater, I’ll talk to the owner, see if they want to sell it. Been doing it for twenty years now. Once a week I’ll go for a drive. Nowadays I spend more time socializing on those trips. I have a network of friends I’ve made that way, and they are always sending their friends my way. There’s a whack of people out there that have old cars and trucks that hold sentimental value but they never got around to doing anything with. Most end up as scrap metal, but I find plenty worth salvaging, and most people are pleased to know their old treasures might get rebuilt. As you can see, I have more of these than I know what to do with, but my nephew wants to take over the business someday, so I’m training him up and building an inventory for him. He’s a good mechanic, can fix just about anything, but I’m still teaching him customer relations.”

  “It’s a skill. Especially in this business,” Kat said.

  Mike chuckled. “I don’t run my yard like a traditional used-car lot. I’ve built this business on building a reputation for being fair and honest. These days everyone and their dog has the Internet. They know a good price from a bad one. I don’t have to try hard to get customers. I ship several full restorations a year and have a waiting list. The rest of the stuff we sell is low markup and keeps my team busy between working on the high-end stuff. It works for us.”

  Kat was liking Mad Mike more and more as she got to know him. He was one of those old-school guys that understood the value of his reputation and took pride in it. Guys like him were the ones who took care of their customers and never sold a lemon.

  “Here’s the sixty-two dodge. As you can see, the body isn’t in bad shape at all. The previous owner had already started restoring it, but he was drag racing it on weekends and blew the engine. He didn’t have the money to rebuild the engine, so he had to trade it in. His wife put her foot down and told him he couldn’t keep it.”

  “She didn’t like the drag racing?”

  “No, she didn’t like him driving a Dodge. She made him get a Ford Mustang. I sold them a Mustang. They both race it on weekends.”

  Kat laughed. “Nice.”

  “Drives him nuts. She beats his track times almost every weekend. He claims it’s because he’s not a Ford guy. Fact is, she’d just a damn good driver. What you think about the truck?”

  Kat looked closer at the Dodge. “Well...”

  “Let me guess, you are looking for something that hasn’t already been restored?”
>
  “Yes. I mean, it looks good and all.”

  “I have a couple more that I think fit your needs better,” Mad Mike said before walking further up the line of old vehicles. “I have a pair of fifty-sevens. Both need a lot of work, but the frames are good and the bodies aren’t too rusted.”

  Kat looked at the first truck. It was a ’57 Chevy Apache.

  “Were you specifically looking for a Dodge?” Mad Mike asked.

  “No. I like all the American trucks from this time frame. I love the classic look. The curves of the older ones and even the square ones that came later. I liked the Dodge, but I grew up a Ford girl. Although I drive a Dodge Demon now and I’m pretty much in love with it.”

  Mad Mike laughed. “As you should be. That is one hell of a car. I tested one out on the track with one of my racing buddies. That is a whole lot of car right off the lot.”

  “Sure is, and it’s a one of a kind. The guy who bought it was a criminal, so he had bulletproof windows and panels put in it. It’s perfect for me.”

  Mike took another look at her. “You’re a cop?”

  “I guess so. I work for the MBI.”

  “MBI, isn’t that the division that deals with paranormals?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Cool,” Mad Mike said. “Vegas has a whole bunch of paranormals running around. They look human and all, but if you pay attention, you can tell the difference. Not that I care. They haven’t done anything to me.”

  Kat smiled. “So you’re a believer, then.”

  Mad Mike scoffed. “Hell, the government flat out told everyone about it. I remember how shocked everyone was and how people started panicking, so the government started backtracking to calm the masses, but you’d have to be an idiot to not notice things differently after being told the truth. You deal with many of them creatures from Unreha?”

  Kat laughed. “Well, technically I am one of those creatures from Unreha, but I was raised here in America. I didn’t even know I was different until a couple months ago.”

  “Crazy. You don’t look different, so you must have strong magic. Some of the paranormals in Vegas look human, but when you really look close you notice things that are off. But I don’t see any of that with you.”

  “I don’t use a glamor. This is what I really look like. But I know what you mean. Once I learned what I really was, I started seeing the world differently.”

  “Well, you’re kind of a backwards girl anyway, being a Ford fan and all. Makes sense that you’re from a different realm.”

  “Hey now,” Kat said with a laugh. It was cool to meet a normal that was so open-minded to the idea of a magical realm and paranormals. Maybe being from Vegas made him a little more open-minded towards the strange.

  Mad Mike winked. “Well, since you were a Ford girl growing up, maybe this next one I have will appeal to you.” Mad Mike moved down a few vehicles. “Fifty-seven Ford Fleetside. The engine and transmission are gone, and the tires are older and balder than my Aunt Lucille.”

  Kat examined the truck. It was ugly as sin, but she did love this style of truck body. “It is a real piece of crap, and it might be just what I’m looking for.”

  “Where you from?” Mad Mike asked.

  “I live in Boston.”

  “I tell you what. I send quite a few vehicles back east. I have custom auto guys in New York and Boston that I ship to. I have a delivery to Boston next week. If you want this one, I’ll ship it as part of the deal.”

  “That sounds interesting.”

  “How much of the work you going to do yourself?” Mad Mike asked.

  “I have a friend who’s a computer genius, and he’s going to do all the electrical work and some of the body work. I’ll be hiring a mechanic and someone to do body work and paint.”

  “Your computer guy really a genius?”

  “He builds supercomputers. He’s got skills.”

  “Well, with that in mind, I can make the deal even sweeter. My guy in Boston does amazing work, and he’s interested in the whole electric rebuild market. If your computer guy is willing to work with him, you could probably get him dirt cheap. Basically, he’d just charge you wholesale prices for any parts he supplies, and the labor would be free.”

  “Sounds like an unbeatable deal. What’s the catch?”

  Mad Mike laughed. “No catch, but James, my guy in Boston, owes me a favor or two, so if he learns anything special from your computer guy, he’ll be passing the information on to me too. There’s a booming market for electric conversions these days, and I only see it getting better. It could be a nice little way to help my nephew build his own brand for when I’m retired.”

  “That’s not much of a catch. Let’s talk numbers, then. What’s it going to cost me for the Ford?”

  “Twenty-five hundred delivered,” Mad Mike said.

  Kat smiled. She wasn’t even going to negotiate at that price. Finding an older truck that fit what she wanted similar to the condition this one was in would cost her double that, plus shipping depending on where she got it. Throw in the connection to his custom guy in Boston and it was a no-brainer. “You got a deal.”

  As Kat went to shake Mad Mike’s hand, she got a strong smell of demons. “Ah, Mike, you remember what I told you I did?”

  “Of course. You’re MBI.”

  “Exactly, but what I didn’t say is that I often deal with demons, and demon attacks. You’re about to witness one.”

  “Oh,” Mad Mike said, looking around. “That doesn’t sound good.”

  “It isn’t. How many people are in your office?”

  “Heidi, who is my secretary, my nephew, and Tony, our mechanic.”

  “Mike, I need you to go inside and make sure everyone stays inside. But walk calmly, like you’re just going to get some paperwork.”

  Mike nodded and headed towards the building.

  Kat warily walked around the side of the building back towards the front of the lot. The stench of brimstone increased. There was more than one demon in the area. As she reached the front lot, she spotted a man at the entrance of the lot walking towards her. He was wearing a hooded top that looked foreign. It wasn’t like a hoodie or a coat you’d find in Vegas. His face was covered in shadows, so she couldn’t get a good description of his face, but she wasn’t worried about that. It was the confident and purposeful way that he was walking right towards her that told her that this was her adversary. This was the person behind the demon smell, even if he wasn’t the source.

  “If it isn’t the infamous Miss Dark,” said the mysterious man.

  “I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage,” Kat said.

  “Indeed, I do.”

  Kat frowned. This guy was already starting to get on her nerves. “Fine, if you want to play all cloak and dagger, I’ll just call you Buddy. What do you want, Buddy?”

  “I want you to deliver Chuck Ringle to me. I have need of him.”

  “Let me think about that for a moment... Yep, that’s going to be a no.” Kat wasn’t sure who this guy thought he was, but to ask her to deliver a key witness to some random dude during what was supposedly the trial of the century was lunacy.

  The stranger shrugged. “Have it your way. I’ll get the answers I need one way or another.”

  Kat was about to reply when a demon popped up from behind a used Camaro. She then caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she spotted two more. Between the mage or warlock, whatever he was, that allowed him to call on multiple demons, and the ugly, almost alien-looking creatures that reminded her very distinctly of Gollum without hair, she was surrounded.

  Kat drew her gun and glanced at the man. He wasn’t moving, just watching. “If you want your pets to stay in this realm, I suggest making them stop from coming any closer.”

  The man put his hand to his chin. “Let me think about that for a moment... Yep, that’s going to be a no.”

  “Shit,” Kat swore under her breath as she turned her attention to the demons
. She hated that he’d been able to use her own words against her without having a witty reply to send his way, but suddenly she had a demon issue. The three demons were running towards her and they were fast, redonkulously fast.

  Kat fired at the closest demon twice before she managed to hit it, but the bullet didn’t even slow it down. Her decision to not load holy water bullets was looking worse by the second. She fired another round into the demon, this time hitting it right in the head. It flew backwards. But before she could turn her attention to the next demon, she was slammed to the ground by another demon.

  By the time she realized there had been a fourth demon, she was already on her back with the demon on top of her, trying to pin her down. A second demon slammed into her and pressed down on her shoulders.

  Kat tried to wiggle free, but they were strong and quick. Every time she almost had an arm free they moved and kept her pinned. She then felt a third demon clawing at her leg. She managed to deliver a hard kick to the face of the third demon, sending it backwards.

  With both legs free, Kat brought both of her knees up to her chest, got her feet on the hips of the first demon, and kicked as hard as she could. The demon flew into the air and knocked the second demon sideways. The contact left the demon with only one arm on Kat, who then was able to twist her body free. She turned her free arm and pressed her gun into the demon. She fired three rounds into its chest.

  The demon screamed in agony.

  Finally, Kat had half a second to think. She saw the first demon that she’d shot was getting up. Obviously, her bullets were ineffective against these demons, but she didn’t have time to change clips, so she just dropped her gun and called on her magic.

  Fueled by her frustration and pain, Kat unleashed a wicked shot of webbing at the demon who was trying to jump on her. She then turned and repeated the attack on the next demon. The demon evaded her first shot, but she did it again and struck him around the knees like she was using a lasso. The demon tripped.

  Kat jumped to her feet and kept firing her silver thread at the demons. It was working. The demons were getting stuck in the webs, and it was burning them. She realized all four demons were stuck in the silver thread. She turned to find the man who’d brought them, but he was gone. She spun around, looking for him, but there was no sign he’d even been there, other than the four demons struggling to break free from their magical bindings.