Veil of Lies

by Nicky Charles

  Bear? Scent mask? She had no idea what they were talking about and didn’t really care. The idea of being locked in a trunk was foremost in her mind.

  Armand, help!

  Of course, yelling his name was pointless. She was hefted like a sack of potatoes, there was a metallic creak and then she was dropped into the trunk. Another metallic screech was rapidly followed by a thunk as the lid slammed shut cutting off what little light she’d been able to see through the bag covering her head.

  The vehicle reversed out of the parking spot and then began to move forward, the floor below her vibrating as they travelled over cracked pavement and clunked through potholes. In her mind she mapped out where they were going; down the alley, stopping, turning and then the sounds of other vehicles let her know they’d merged into traffic.

  Snippets of advice as to what to do if you were ever trapped in a trunk filled her mind. Emergency release levers, kicking out the tail lights; unfortunately, they never mentioned how to complete those actions if you were trussed up like a turkey and couldn’t see the latches let alone reach them. There wasn’t much she could do so she thrashed about, kicking the sides of the trunk in the hopes someone on the sidewalk might notice the noise and call the police. It wasn’t very likely but right now, it seemed the only hope she had.

  Armand was putting his credit card away when Roxi appeared at his side and tugged on his arm.

  “We need to talk. Now!” She hissed the words at him, all the while glancing around.

  There was an urgency in her voice that had him agreeing without question and he followed her to the back of the restaurant.

  “What’s wrong? Where’s Lucy?”

  “She’s gone. She’s not in the washroom or anywhere in the restaurant. I even looked in the alley. It’s like she vanished!”

  The news sent a chill through him and for a split second he stood still, absorbing the information, regulating his emotional response and focusing on solving the problem. Then he side-stepped around Roxi and headed for the women’s washroom to check the stalls.

  “I’ve already done that.” Roxi stood in the doorway nervously nibbling on her thumbnail.

  “Right.” He scanned the room taking in the sink, the paper towel dispenser, the beige metal partitions. Of course, Roxi had looked but he’d needed to see for himself. “The window’s too high and too small for her to have exited that way. There’s no other way out, no sign of a struggle.” He automatically began to list and eliminate possibilities. “I can detect her scent though.”

  “So…?”

  He brushed past Roxi, focused on following Lucy’s trail. It led towards the rear of the building. “She went this way and,” he frowned, “there was a shifter here with her. It’s the same scent I noticed at the restaurant this afternoon.”

  “So the bad guy must be someone who works at the diner!”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t notice the scent of shifters when I was there on other days.”

  “Then that means some random shifter must have come looking for her earlier in the day, not knowing she’d switched shifts!” Roxi gave a decisive nod.

  Whatever the case, all sorts of warning bells were sounding in his head. It took great restraint to not rip the back door off its hinges and burst into the alley with a roar. There was only a slim chance that Lucy’s abductor was out there but, just in case, he didn’t want to startle the person into doing something stupid. Instead, he eased the door open, listening intently, testing the air, before stepping outside.

  He was met by dumpsters, weeds, stray garbage, cracked pavement and a few cars parked in a small area marked ‘employees only’ but there was no sign of Lucy or anyone else.

  “Well, this proves my theory about the flash drive.” Roxi planted her hands on her hips.

  Not really listening, he inspected the area, sifting through the myriad of scents that filled the alley while looking for visual clues as to what might have happened. Lucy’s trail indicated she’d walked to the left after leaving the building. He headed that way.

  Roxi followed him, still talking. “The info on the drive is valuable to some shifter and whoever it is, isn’t going to let it slip through their fingers. It has to be the leaked data from Lycan Link.”

  Something glinted in the light that managed to shine down the alley, the sun beginning its descent and at just the right angle to illuminate the narrow space. Bending down, he picked up the oval glass object; a cracked lens from a pair of glasses. Lucy’s glasses. He carefully rubbed his thumb over the surface, thinking how he’d disliked the eyewear. Now this was all he had left of her. Tucking the remains into his pocket, he stood up, imagining how terrified she must be, unable to see properly, trying to defend herself...

  Roxi kept chattering away about her theory. “The shifter that owned the drive must have followed us here, then nabbed Lulu when he saw she was by herself. She didn’t have the drive on her – I saw her set it on her dresser when she was getting ready for dinner—so the guy must have kidnapped her, maybe planning to exchange her for the flash drive.”

  He walked a bit farther, still following Lucy’s scent, only to stop as if he’d hit a wall. The scent had disappeared. Shaking his head, he stepped back and tried again, scenting the air, finding Lucy’s trail, following it and then…nothing. It made no sense. About to try again, his nose twitched, and he gave a violent sneeze quickly followed by two more.

  “What’s wrong? Are you getting sick?” Roxi seemed to have finished theorizing and was now noticing his actions.

  “Sick? No. But something is wrong.” He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to puzzle through what was happening. “I can’t follow the trail.”

  “I thought you shifter kinds had super sniffers.”

  “We do. Bears are excellent at picking up scents but this one ends in mid-air.”

  His bear growled in frustration. A scent trail does not vanish.

  Roxi snapped her fingers. “I bet the kidnapper used a scent mask! I’ve heard rumours about them. It’s something Lycan Link developed a few years ago.”

  “A scent mask?” He searched his memory trying to recall if Ryne had ever mentioned Lycans having such a thing. “How does this scent mask work? Is there a way to counteract it?”

  She shrugged. “No idea. I only gather the info, I don’t ask for instructions.”

  He gritted his teeth, barely keeping his voice even. “Then you need to go looking for that information right now.”

  “Looking? Uh-uh.” She shook her head. “I don’t look, I gather. If people are careless enough to leave stuff lying about or talk when I’m around, that’s their problem. I just collect the crumbs and offer them to those who want them. But I don’t go around asking about stuff. It draws too much attention.”

  “Then it’s time you learn the reverse of the process.” There was a rumble in his voice as he pinned her with a hard stare, making no effort to hold back his inner animal. The animal was raging inside, eyes flashing, teeth bared, wanting to break free, needing to vent its anger.

  She took a step back. “Okay, okay, no need to go feral. Yeesh, you shifter types can be so temperamental.” She made a face. “I think I know a guy who could help if he’s still in town. Let me see what I can do.”

  He gave a nod. “I’ll head back to the apartment and locate the USB. Assuming she’s been kidnapped, it will be our bargaining chip to ensure her safety.”

  “Good idea. I’ll meet you back there. If my guy is around and has any info, it shouldn’t take me too long. I’ll go make some phone calls.” Pulling out her cell phone, she headed back into the restaurant muttering to herself. “I’ll probably owe him for the rest of my life.”

  Armand clenched his hands into fists and slowly turned in a circle. Eyes narrowed, he examined every surface, every corner, double-checking he hadn’t missed some clue as to who had taken Lucy and where. He hated to leave the alley, it was the last place she had been, but staying proved nothing. Every minute wasted chip
ped away at the chances of finding Lucy unharmed.

  With a frustrated growl, he headed back to her apartment.

  Jimmy gave a snort and stirred in his chair waking from a sound sleep. He yawned and scratched his chest then levered the recliner upright. His neck was stiff, having fallen asleep in front of the TV as he so often did. Rubbing the protesting muscles, he stared at the screen watching the woman on the shopping network extol the virtues of a scarf that could be worn a dozen different ways.

  “Yeah, like I need one of those.” He clicked the remote to turn off the TV and pushed himself to his feet.

  The drone of the fan mixed with the faint sound of the aquarium water. He tapped the glass and his goldfish swam closer knowing the sound meant feeding time. They darted back and forth as he dropped the food flakes into the water.

  “Greedy little beggars.” He set the can of fish food back on the shelf. “Enjoy your dinner. I’m going to get another beer.”

  He shuffled to the fridge and found a can, popped it open and took a long drink, idly looking out the window. There was a car in the alley, which wasn’t that unusual. Turning to go back to his chair, he looked at the vehicle again.

  The sun was setting but there was still ample light to see. The car was an older model in pretty bad shape with a dent in the hood and rusty fenders. He noted the licence plate; an old habit from his cop days. Yeah, he’d been a good cop, given a commendation after only one year on the force. Ha! He’d still been wet behind the ears and thinking he’d save the world…

  His gaze grew distant as he remembered his glory days. He’d been so proud of that badge and uniform. Yep, those were the days. Nothing like that happened anymore. He was retired now, had been for what? Twenty years? Maybe more. He couldn’t really remember. All he knew was his pension cheques didn’t stretch as far as they used to. Good thing he had this job as a building superintendent. It helped make ends meet. Well, that and a few carefully-placed bets. He took another drink and then belched before looking at the car again.

  It seemed to be rocking about. Probably dumb kids making out in the back seat. He remembered when he’d been nimble enough to do that. Chuckling, he considered going out there and banging on the hood. Scare the shit out of them. That would be fun. Of course, kids today could just as likely pull a knife on you and he didn’t want to get carved up like a ham.

  Yeah, he’d stay inside, find a game to watch or maybe a rerun of a cop show. He liked to watch those and find all the discrepancies. Real police work was nothing like what they showed on TV.

  He was wandering back towards his chair when the sound of someone entering the building caught his attention. His apartment door was partially open so he could watch the comings and goings of the building’s occupants. As the building super, it was his job to keep an eye on things after all.

  “Who are you?” He studied the woman who was about to mount the stairs. Short, sharp features, reddish hair; he mentally noted her appearance.

  “I’m here to see Lou.” She smiled at him and took a step forward.

  “Nope. She ain’t home.” He shook his head. “She and her friends left for dinner.”

  “Well, I’ll wait for her outside her apartment.” Once again, the woman moved to climb the stairs.

  “No can do. It’s against the rules. No loitering.” He shook his head. “No one can hang out in the hallway.” That was his job. Enforce the rules. Like when he’d been a cop.

  “But…” Her smile had vanished and there was a hard, impatient look about her now.

  He pushed off from the doorframe, drawing on his background to inject a firmness to his tone. “Rules are rules. Gotta follow them. You’ll have to wait outside until they get home.”

  The woman huffed and then stormed out of the building. He gave a satisfied nod and stood there watching to ensure she didn’t return. Yeah, he was still as good a cop as he’d always been; he wasn’t too old, regardless of what anyone said.

  He cocked his head at the sound of a car starting. It came from the alley. Had those kids been making out in the woman’s car? He laughed at the idea. That would put an extra twist in her sour expression!

  Well, he’d better go patrol the halls. Roxi had said there’d been trouble in the neighbourhood. Couldn’t leave his tenants unprotected. Yeah, he took good care of the building. Just the other day, he’d helped put that new window in. Giving himself a congratulatory toast, he took another swig of beer and began to do his rounds.

  Chapter 18

  The car finally stopped. Lou heard the door slam as Kathy exited the vehicle. She assumed they were back at the diner now as they’d already made one stop, likely at the apartment. Kathy hadn’t been gone long but Lou had done her best to draw attention to the car by kicking and yelling through the gag. It hadn’t done any good.

  Now they were probably in the alley behind the King’s Plate. Kathy must have the memory stick by now. Would they check it to verify the contents? And if they did, would they realize the data was useless? Various scenarios raced through her mind. She could tell them the information had been replaced but she knew where the real stuff was; it would give her something to bargain with.

  But what if they didn’t check the memory stick? Should she tell them when they came to get her? Or was that if they came to get her? Perhaps she’d be left in the stuffy trunk until she died of heat and dehydration. The thought sent her into a panic and she was about to start kicking at the side of the car again when Jeff spoke from somewhere nearby.

  “Did you find it?”

  “No, damn it.”

  Lou listened intently, hoping they would say something that would give her a hint as to what was going on and how she might possibly save herself.

  “What happened?”

  “The building superintendent wouldn’t let me in.”

  Lou sent silent thanks to Jimmy. His moment of vigilance might have spared her for a few more hours.

  “Fuck.” Jeff must have leaned against the car for his voice sounded like it was right over her head when the trunk dipped suddenly. “If we can’t get past the security, all of this was for nothing.”

  “You think I don’t know that? This is our chance to gain the upper hand, to make them listen to us. If they don’t, we bring them down.”

  Lou tried to make sense of what they were saying. This didn’t sound like industrial espionage, or at least not the kind she’d imagined. Didn’t that usually involve stealing the plans for the latest gadget or marketing campaign?

  The car’s suspension creaked as the trunk righted. It was probably Jeff removing his weight from the car as he stood. “Maybe we can get another copy of the codes?”

  Kathy snorted. “Don’t be an idiot. Do you know how much we paid out already? And it’s not like the director’s just going to hand over another copy for free!” The soft skittering of loose bits of stone combined with the ebb and flow of her voice indicated she was pacing. “Okay, let’s assume they’re on their own with no back up. I don’t think the bear has—”

  Jeff interrupted her. “Be careful what you say, we have company here, remember?” There was a thumping sound as Jeff patted the metal surface over her head.

  “Does it matter what she hears? It’s not like she’ll be walking away from this.”

  “I suppose not. Though a missing person report could draw attention we don’t need.”

  Lou silently cheered for Jeff. She’d always liked him.

  Kathy gave a derisive snort. “So we make it look like she had an accident.”

  “Hmm... She was drinking a lot tonight. Maybe she wandered off and fell in the river.”

  Lou frowned. Or maybe Jeff wasn’t so great after all.

  “We can decide later,” Kathy spoke again. “Right now we’re going to use her as leverage to get those codes back, tell her roommate and boyfriend we’ll trade her for the USB.”

  “Except they’ll want to see her first as proof she’s still alive. And it increases the chances of us being se
en.”

  “You think I don’t know that?”

  “And then we’ll have to get rid of them.”

  “Right. We can’t leave potential witnesses.”

  “But the bodies—”

  “We’ll dump them all in the river. What’s the matter with you? Feeling squeamish?”

  “No, but it’s getting complicated. The more people involved, the greater the chance something will go wrong.”

  “Suck it up, coyote. You knew there were risks. Besides, we’ll be long gone before anyone finds them.”

  Coyote? That was a weird nickname.

  “Okay, fox. But in the meantime, what do you want me to do with her? We can’t leave her in the trunk; someone might come by and hear her moving about.”

  Had he called Kathy foxy? She hadn’t even known they were a couple!

  “Shove her in the utility room for safe keeping. The cleaning crew is done with the diner for the night and the sound of the bowling alley will drown out any noise she makes. Just be quick about it. We need to contact the others, make sure everyone is in place. With any luck, we’ll get the codes to them before the end of the night.”

  Armand ran up the stairs to Lucy’s apartment, cursing himself for letting her out of his sight. He’d known she was in danger and yet he’d let his guard down. If something happened to her, he’d never forgive himself. Why hadn’t he learned his lesson? The first time she’d come to Chicago, she’d been injured. Now it was happening all over again.

  He rounded one of the landings and pounded up the next set of stairs. While there could be other explanations for Lucy’s disappearance, his gut was telling him the USB would be the key to getting her back, the only bargaining chip the kidnapper would care about. Of course, they’d need to figure out who the kidnapper was. All he knew was the individual had been at the restaurant earlier in the day.