I winced, surprised at how much she knew.
“Don’t remind me.”
“Better I do it than Grace,” she answered. “Contact her before she contacts you.”
“I don’t look forward to traveling with a new transporter through null territory. No backup or access to an arsenal. What could possibly go wrong?”
“Indeed,” she added. “Not to mention the Pain Eaters. They dwell in null areas.”
“Grace never mentioned Pain Eaters.”
“Why would she?” TK said. “She wanted to ensure you took the mission.”
“Her menace is enough to do that.”
“She is formidable. If we survive your current mission, stay alert and don’t fail Grace. She doesn’t enjoy losing people.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, right after I deal with Haran.”
“Good idea,” she said. “Focus those priorities.”
The thought of another teleportation made my stomach turn. If I didn’t reach out to Grace soon, she would reach out…literally. She’d teleport me to her location for a ‘chat’ about my escort mission—the payment for her allowing me to use her method of transport. Somehow the deal felt skewed in her favor.
“I’ve lingered here long enough,” TK said. “I don’t know where this Haran may be, but we have picked up abnormal activity in the old Night Warden’s Keep, Shadow Helm.”
“I thought it was destroyed?”
“Most of it was,” TK answered. “It’s possible he’s using the extensive network of tunnels under Shadow Helm. Didn’t you say there was increased activity in the park?”
“Multiple sightings of rummer packs along with some other creatures, mostly at night,” I said. “That would explain the most recent incident in Bethesda Terrace.”
“It’s not far from where the Helm was situated.”
Shadow Helm used to occupy the center of the Great Lawn, which was dominated by six softball fields now. When it was standing, the Keep allowed the Night Wardens a base of operations inside the park, with an extensive network of tunnels throughout the city. Haran could easily travel throughout the park and city undetected if he used those tunnels.
“You’re right,” I said. “One more thing before you go. The Stone Armature: how do I get Haran in there, and seriously, how do I activate it?”
“I’ll leave how to get Haran into the armature to your dizzying intellect. I’m sure you can convince him to follow you there if you understand his motivation.”
“Thats about as clear as the whole thief verse to activate the thing.”
“I know,” she said. “I’m sure if you focus you’ll understand it in time.”
“Sure, more focus that’s what it needs, not clarity.”
“Exactly.”
TK opened a portal and stepped through.
FIFTEEN
“Cait, can you connect me to Luca? Secure line: Chameleon.”
I left the catacombs and stepped into the cool night. I walked to the corner of Mulberry and Prince. The code I gave Cait ensured Luca would know it was me. Whether or not she would pick up was another thing. She was still semi-pissed at my staying rogue.
“Your trainee nearly blew himself out of existence with that stunt he pulled on the FDR today,” Luca said with a growl when she answered. “Did you teach him that?”
She was in her usual mood—borderline homicidal
“Massive destruction of public property is more your thing.”
“I didn’t reduce the Abyss to rubble,” she said staring at me. “That was you.”
“That was Cait.”
“Right. Traffic is still snarled on the East side. Had to call it a water main break and shut down everything around the area. This is a shitstorm of epic proportions.”
“Is he okay? Any casualties?”
He may have been a little shit, but he was still an operative doing his job.
“Cuts, contusions, and some minor breaks,” she said. “Everyone’s at Haven recovering. Did you explain that D13 doesn’t exist? Because blowing up the FDR is the opposite of being invisible.”
“The Coffins were a nice touch. He almost convinced me. I didn’t expect the runed rocket launcher though.”
“Somehow, he got ahold of runed weaponry and decided the middle of a crowded city was a good place for target practice,” Luca said, clipping her words. It was something she did when she was frustrated… and livid. “I reamed him a new one and threatened to drop him to 020 if he pulled another stunt like that.”
“We don’t have a 020 designation.”
“I know. I’d create one just for his stupid trainee ass.”
“That’s just evil.”
“I’m considerate that way. Speaking of which, Cecil wants to have some words with you.”
“The Duster wasn’t my fault. Did he say what it was about?”
“Don’t know. Don’t care. Take it up with him. Debrief. You have under a minute.”
“Is it true the Director designated me rogue? Or was that you?”
“If I wanted you apprehended and shot, I’d do it myself, not outsource,” she snapped. “He felt it would lend credence to your cover. Did you authorize the Ellis Island operation?”
“Honor did, but that should get Delilah’s attention.”
“Any idea on the summoner?”
“The exile, Haran, is my prime suspect. Ex-Wordweaver, implicated with the Night Warden Lyrra and thought to have a hand in the new strain of Belladonna.”
“He’s the architect of Redrum?”
“At least the first strain,” I said, walking north on Mulberry. “Don’t know if he’s involved in the new strain. My guess, he is, at least indirectly. I think he graduated to summoning scary creatures and playing Frankenstein. He ties the Redrum to the Tenebrous.”
“If it wasn’t for that bitch, Delilah—”
“And Division 13 trying to play god.”
“That too,” Luca said with a sigh. “We wouldn’t be dealing with this nightmare.”
“No, we’d be dealing with some other kind of nightmare. It’s what we do. It’s who we are.”
“We can’t let Tigris get magical weapons—creatures or otherwise.”
“That’s what I’m out here doing.”
“You’d be more efficient within D13,” she said, her tone a little softer. “You’d have access to more resources, personnel, and weaponry.”
This was her way of saying she missed me and was worried about me. I knew better than to call it what it was—unless I felt like having broken parts in the near future.
“True,” I agreed. “But we have to think long-term. The goal is stopping Delilah and Tigris.”
“Delilah I can see,” Luca said. “Tigris? That’s going to take a major organizational shift.”
“One step at time,” I said. “First, we get the small fish, then we go after the big fish.”
“Time’s up,” she said, curtly. “Watch your six. There are still Death Widows out there.”
“Counting on it,” I said and she hung up.
If she gushed any harder I wouldn’t be able to stand the display of emotion.
“I don’t know why people say she’s antisocial,” I muttered to myself as I crossed E Houston Street. “She’s just a little rough around the edges.”
Time to go fishing.
SIXTEEN
I managed to get two blocks north, between Bleecker and Bond, before the first Death Widow made her move. I stood at the mouth of Jones Alley when the first knife cut silently through the air, forcing me to dodge into the alley to avoid becoming a pin cushion.
The knife, a version of a kunai, an old farming tool repurposed into effective hand weapons during the 1500’s in Japan, buried itself in the wall next to my head.
I scanned the street with my corneal implant, but came up empty. Death Widows had cutting-edge countermeasures that allowed them camouflage from Division 13 tech.
Inside the Alley stood one of the Death Widows. It was a ruse. They never traveled in groups smaller than three. She stood about my height, wore black, tight fitting combat armor, and some kind of stylized hood that only allowed me to see her eyes.
“Hello, Ronin,” she said. “We’ve been looking for you.”
If she was speaking, it meant another attack was happening. Death Widows only spoke at two times, to distract or to thank you for dying honorably. I shifted to the side and hugged the wall. Two more kunai buried themselves in the ground where I had stood.
“No, thanks,” I said, moving further into the alley to cut off the attacks from above. “I have all the knives and daggers I can use.”
The alley was a perfect killing ground. It led into a building that bisected the block, effectively creating a dead end. Few trees provided visual cover, giving the Widows unobstructed sight lines to rain death from above.
“Delilah would like to speak to you,” the Widow said.
“As much as I appreciate the personal touch, she knows my number. Tell her to call me.”
“This is not negotiable,” she said. “You will speak to her, if you survive.”
I knew this was an audition. If I let these Widows beat me, Delilah would be gone. I had to neutralize them without dusting them. As far as interviews went, this was going to be one of the more violent ones.
The Widow slid in and lunged with a kunai in each hand. I ducked under the lunge and unsheathed Sliver in time to deflect the second attack aimed for my throat. She was fast and skilled.
Her hands blurred as she pressed a flurry of slashes aimed at distracting me from the real attack. I dropped to the floor and rolled as another airborne kunai meant for my back buried itself in her leg.
I heard her grunt in pain. I gave her points for pain tolerance, but I wouldn’t expect less from a world class assassin. She was good, young, and skilled. I was old, crafty, and experienced.
She never stood a chance.
I closed the distance as she lunged again. I let her make contact with my suit which prevented the puncture, but allowed her to overreach. She expected an evasion and I let her hit me. The split second of surprise was enough to catch her off balance.
The strike hurt like hell, not that I would let it show. I stepped in with a crouch and introduced her to an uppercut I started from the floor and ended at her jaw.
The blow lifted her off her feet. She landed in a unconscious heap a few meters away. Two more Widows dropped silently in front of me. I sensed at least two more behind me. I drew Thorn and took aim at the unconscious Widow on the ground.
“None of you are faster than my trigger finger,” I said, making sure there was a round in the chamber. “Where is she?”
“Right here,” a voice said in the darkness. “Stand down and disperse.”
The Widows melted into the night like living shadows. I stood facing a lone figure dressed similarly to the other Widows, but exuding a considerably larger amount of relaxed menace. It took all I had not to raise Thorn and empty the magazine into her.
“No need for all this.” I said, never taking my eyes off her.
“Had to make sure you still had some of your reflexes.”
Meaning if the Widow finished me, I wasn’t worth her time.
“You could’ve called and asked.”
“Techbraces are traced.”
“Not mine,” I said. “I’m off-grid.”
“So I hear,” Delilah said, staying in the shadows. “You’ve gone rogue.”
It wasn’t a question, but I could hear the slight inflection of doubt in her voice. Even in the dim light I could make out some features. Her black hair was still short. Her Widow combat armor wasn’t as form fitting, but I could tell she was keeping herself in fighting condition.
She looked the same. I recalled that the last time we faced each other, I had tried unsuccessfully to perforate her with several rounds at the airport. High cheekbones, a sharp angular jawline, and a pair of piercing, dark eyes gave her a look of exotic beauty. Dropping my guard would be a lethal error—for me. Fighting Widows was one thing. Facing Delilah one-on-one meant only one of us was walking away.
“Is your offer still on the table?” I asked, holstering Thorn. “Or was that a one time thing?”
“The offer still stands, but conditions have changed.”
“I’m not going to look good in one of those ninja outfits.”
“You’ll have to forgive my reluctance believing in your rogue status,” she said. “Despite the activities on the FDR.”
She had been keeping tabs on me.
“It’s not like D13 gives out rogue operative cards. What do you want?”
“It’s a simple thing, really.”
Any time someone prefaced a request this way, I knew to expect the most difficult, painful, and near impossible task.
“A simple thing? Really? Enlighten me.”
“If you want me, and Tigris, to welcome you into our ranks, you just need to bring me Luca—”
“You want me to kidnap the Assistant Director?”
“I didn’t say anything about kidnap,” Delilah answered with a smile. “I want you to bring Luca the Lapdog’s body to the same location where she tried to dust me.”
“Sounds like you have some unresolved issues,” I said. “My trainee tried to explode me today. You don’t see me upset about it. Surprised, yes. Upset, no. Maybe therapy will help?”
“Are you saying you can’t do this?” Delilah asked. “It may be easier to end you now.”
“I didn’t say I couldn’t do it,” I said, using my most convincing tone. “I just don’t see the point in poking a hornet’s nest. If I remove Luca—difficult, but not impossible, D13 will issue an SOS on me. How could I be effective to you or Tigris with all of Division 13 on my ass?”
“Good news,” Delilah said. “You’ve been upgraded. Division 13 issued a KOS on you shortly after your FDR incident. Taking out Luca is hardly going to make it worse.”
The Director or Luca, I was leaning to Luca on this one, weren’t going halfway on my cover. An SOS, or shoot on sight order had room for apprehension at the discretion of the operative doing the apprehending. A kill on sight order…well, it didn’t need explaining.
“It’s nice to know I’m appreciated,” I said. “I still don’t think this will help you or demonstrate my effectiveness.”
Delilah took a few steps closer. “Your effectiveness will be measured in how well you manage this task,” she said, her voice slicing through the night. “This will demonstrate your level of commitment, to me and to those above me. Of course, you could always refuse.”
I sensed the Widows around me. Refusal of this assignment meant I didn’t walk out of this alley alive.
“Consider it done,” I said. “Time frame?”
“Three days,” she said, and I felt Cait vibrate. “You can contact me at that number. It has a one-use encryption.”
“How did you?” I asked, looking down at my techbrace.
“I told you, Tigris is better funded and better equipped,” she said, stepping back into the darkness. “Three days…either she’s gone or you are.”
“No pressure,” I said into the night.
A few seconds later, I realized I was alone in the alley.
SEVENTEEN
&
nbsp; “Cait, pinpoint the location of the activity in the park.”
I walked north on Lafayette Street. The city, even at this hour, was a hive of activity. Lafayette turned into 4th Avenue several blocks north, around 10th Street. I kept to the larger streets in case Delilah and the Widows had second thoughts about my staying alive.
For once I was glad this wasn’t a call.
The Magekiller Page 7