Veil of Lies

by Nicky Charles

  “Hi, I know this sounds weird—” She stopped mid-sentence, her euphoria at having escaped sucked from her faster than a vacuum could suck up a sock.

  Jeff and Kathy were only half a block away and headed towards her!

  Chapter 19

  Armand and Roxi circled the block around the diner. He’d hauled ass and used satellite imagery of the area to find some vantage points that would help him gain an upper hand against Lucy’s kidnappers. Next, he contacted his cousin Rudi and, after explaining the scenario, the man had gladly agreed to help. Given the number of humans around, they’d not be able to rely on their inner animals for help, but both had other skills that were still useful. Rudi was now on top of a building with a rifle to provide cover fire if needed. As for himself, he had his preferred weapon, throwing knives, at the ready.

  In a perfect scenario they would do a straight exchange—Lucy for the USB drive—however, given they could identify the kidnappers it was likely the only way out of this would be the death of one side or the other.

  He took out his phone and double-checked his backup was in position. “Rudi?”

  “I’m ready, Reggie.” The man’s voice came over the airwaves. “No sign of movement in the alley, nothing that looks like a trap.”

  “Remember, don’t act unless I give the signal. We hope to get out of this without attracting attention.” He tucked his phone away, then noticed Roxi staring at him.

  “Did he just call you ‘Reggie’? Like in Reginald?”

  “It’s a nickname.” He made a face.

  “Is there a juicy story behind it?”

  “No. Reggie is short for Regulus; it’s an…er….Ursa term.”

  “Ursa’s a fancy word for bear, isn’t it? Sort of like the one you turned into in the apartment?” She rocked back and forth on her heels as she smugly delivered the teasing comment.

  “Oui.” He scowled at the reminder of his loss of control and turned the conversation back to the matter at hand. “Do you remember what you need to do?”

  She nodded and cracked her ever-present gum. “Sure. It’s simple. I’m the distraction. My job is to talk, keep them off balance—something I’m good at already—while you try to grab Lulu.”

  “And soon as anything resembling action happens, you take cover.”

  “Aye, aye captain!” She gave him a salute.

  He could sense a combination of nerves and excitement coming from her. She looked on this as an adventure and it concerned him. “Remember, Lucy’s life is at stake as well as our own. They won’t allow us to get away.”

  “I know.” She nodded. “These guys mean business. Like I told you, rumour has it they’re part of a subversive movement willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. That’s probably why their names were flagged.”

  He drew his brows together, recalling Roxi’s revelation about a group that was purportedly planning on overthrowing Lycan Link, using security codes to infiltrate the organization. Exactly why they wanted to bring about the downfall of Lycan Link, Roxi was unsure, and he didn’t really care. It only mattered to him in so far as it affected Lucy’s safety. He’d relayed the news to Ryne, who was going to bring it to the attention of his contact at the Lycan headquarters. Beyond that, he washed his hands of it.

  Perhaps he appeared concerned, for Roxi gave him a nudge in the side with her elbow.

  “Don’t worry. I was born under a good sign. My mother says I’ll live to be old and grey. I’ll extend my good vibes to cover you and Lulu.”

  “Merci, but I don’t believe in such things.”

  “Yeah, well some people don’t believe in bear shifters either.”

  He slid her a sideways look. She was grinning up at him and, unwillingly, he felt the corner of his mouth curve upward.

  The moment of levity was short-lived when he detected Lucy’s scent. His step slowed, his muscles tensed and he narrowed his eyes before heading towards the alley.

  “What’s up?” Roxi trotted at his side.

  “Lucy is nearby.”

  “So you’re thinking maybe they stashed her somewhere and we can find her first?”

  He nodded and followed the scent trail down the alley to the back entrance of a building. A light over the exit illuminated the sign on the door, declaring it to be the King’s Plate.

  Roxi cracked her gum. “Well, at least they weren’t lying about where the exchange would take place.”

  He tested the door which was, of course, locked.

  “You can probably break that down,” Roxi suggested, peering around. “The coast is clear.”

  “That’s my plan.” He rammed his shoulder into the door, the action creating a dent.

  “C’mon, put some muscle into it.”

  He shot Roxi a look of annoyance, was about to hit the door again when his phone rang. It was Rudi.

  “I think I spotted them. A man and a woman approaching from the front look like the images your friend forwarded to you from Lycan Link. They’ll be at your location in a couple of minutes.”

  “Damn. Keep me posted.” He tossed the phone to Roxi, called upon his inner animal and began to destroy the door.

  Lou gasped at the sight of her kidnappers. Perhaps the sound was louder than she thought or maybe Kathy had amazing hearing. Whatever the case, Kathy looked up, gave a shout and began to run towards her, Jeff hot on her heels.

  Her gaze swung from her approaching captors, to the diner where a crashing sound of unknown origin had just erupted.

  Run! Hide!

  The words had barely formed in her brain when the door to the Bowlerama opened right beside her like an unexpected invitation. Shoving her way through the group that had been leaving, she dove inside.

  The place was packed. Music blared from all sides and the disco strobe lights gave the space a weird surrealistic appearance. A large group of people surrounded the front desk, the small snack area was crowded with customers ordering hotdogs, popcorn and beverages and, everywhere she looked there were people with blood smeared on their clothing, damaged limbs and gaping wounds. Oh great, it was the zombie party!

  Horror was not her thing but fear of those following her had her plunging into the crowd anyway.

  “Excuse me, pardon me…”

  She pushed and shoved her way between the groups of revellers, the zombies more intent on enjoying their party than taking notice of her. A glance over her shoulder showed Kathy and Jeff were now in the building and searching for her.

  She hunched down, trying to hide and wishing she had her phone so she could call the police. There was a young woman near her and she tugged on her arm.

  “Excuse me, I need help! I—”

  “Yeah, that’s a pretty lame costume.” The girl glanced at her with a bored expression.

  “No, I mean—”

  “Gotcha!” Suddenly Jeff appeared at her side and grabbed her arm.

  She screamed, trying to pull free. “No! Let me go!”

  Jeff started to drag her away, cussing as she kicked and struggled.

  “Hey, you bastard, she said no!” The bored girl suddenly came to life, leaping to her feet and pummeling Jeff as if beating on someone gave her immense joy.

  Jeff loosened his grip and Lou broke free then took off running. Dodging left and right, she was intent on putting as much distance between herself and Jeff as possible except she suddenly saw Kathy in front of her and skidded to a halt.

  Oh damn. One in front of her and one behind. With no other option, she turned and began to run down and across the bowling lanes, slipping and sliding on the oiled surface, hopping over the balls that were careening down the length. The bowlers weren’t amused.

  “Hey!”

  “Get out of the way!”

  “What’s she doing?

  “Look there’s another one chasing her!”

  “Is this part of the entertainment?”

  “Yeah, maybe they’re zombie hunters!”

  Protests and questions from the bowl
ers intermixed with the thumping music. She had no idea how far ahead of her pursuers she was. Her gaze was fixed on the small walkway that led to the service area behind the pinsetters; there were emergency exit doors located there. Just two more lanes to go...

  “Lulu, look out!”

  Her name blared over the speaker system and the voice sounded like…Roxi?

  As she turned to look, she saw Jeff closing in on her and then the lighting system went wild, every strobe, disco and laser pattern turned on all at once. She gave a start, lost her footing and began sliding down the oiled surface of the lane like some bizarre bowling ball, finally coming to a halt inches from the pins.

  Scrambling to her feet, she caught a glimpse of Armand in a face-off with Kathy two lanes over, though with chaos reigning throughout the building it was hard to be sure of anything. People were shouting, the music blared and lights flickered madly. Over it all she saw an incongruous flash of light, followed by a roar of pain and Armand stumbled backwards.

  Her heart stopped, sure he’d been shot but even as the thought formed, a scream rose about the general noise and a large bulky shape appeared looking almost like a…a bear?

  Sure it was some strange effect of the lights, she blinked to clear her vision only to find her view was blocked by Jeff standing mere feet away!

  Fear, confusion, perhaps exasperation, she wasn’t sure what it was but suddenly she felt like her old self facing a brawl at the bar. There was no serving platter nearby, so she grabbed the next best thing, a bowling pin and swung it at Jeff with all her might. The force of the blow reverberated up her arm even as he crumpled to the ground.

  Stunned, she stared at him, vaguely aware of Roxi cheering her on over the sound system.

  “Way to go, Lulu!” Roxi’s excited voice blared over the music only to be followed by a more indistinct conversation… “What do you mean, what do I think I’m doing? I’m—” … “Hey! Lighten up! I was just adding to the ambiance of the event, making things interesting.” … “Wait! Give me back that microphone, I wasn’t finished!” …. “Armand, get your bearish butt outa there! The manager is a party pooper!”

  And then Armand was at her side, Kathy slung over his shoulder. “Hurry. We need to get out of here.” He pulled her to her feet, then grabbed Jeff by the arm and, dragging the man behind him, they all disappeared into the service area just as the lights came on.

  As the door swung shut behind them, Armand looked around the small service hallway, an area few bowlers ever saw. Pin setting machines lined one side while the other had shelves full of tools and spare parts, a work bench and, thankfully, no pinsetter mechanic. Perhaps the man was on a break or he’d gone up front to see what the commotion was about. Whatever the case, they likely didn’t have long before someone appeared.

  He dumped the dazed Kathy and unconscious Jeff on the ground. He couldn’t believe he’d lost control and shifted yet again; such carelessness was uncharacteristic. Ryne would have a field day when he learned a DC might be required. At least Roxi had provided some cover by playing with the lights but it was imperative they get away before anyone started to ask questions.

  Kathy stirred at his feet, her lashes fluttering, so he ripped a cord from one of the machines and used it to tie her arms behind her back, while taking assessing looks at Lucy over his shoulder. She was leaning against the wall beside him, her face pale.

  “Are you injured?”

  She raised a shaking hand and pushed what remained of her glasses up on her nose. “No. I’m just peachy keen. I get kidnapped and chased like this every day.” The words were followed by a shaky laugh that verged on tears. “What about you? You were shot.”

  “A scratch.”

  Her gaze drifted to his blood-stained sleeve. “It looks like more than a scratch to me.” She reached out to investigate but he pulled back.

  “It’s fine. I bleed easily.”

  “Since when? I don’t recall—”

  “Leave it be!”

  Her hand jerked back.

  “Desolé.” His tone had been sharper than intended, however there was no time for explanations. “We need to get out of here. Do you think you can drag Jeff, while I handle this one?”

  “I’m a waitress not some wilting flower.” She flexed her arm. “I’ll pretend he’s one of those heavy trays of beer I used to carry at the bar.” There was a weariness to her voice, but her spirit was strong.

  She will be a mate to be proud of, his bear declared.

  He nodded in agreement then jerked his head toward the exit. “Follow me. I have someone nearby who’ll pick us up.”

  The alley was in darkness except for the pools of brightness created by lights over each of the back entrances. He chose a spot in the shadows on the far side of the dumpsters just to be sure they were out of sight of prying eyes, secured Kathy to a gas meter and pulled out his phone.

  “Rudi, do you see us?”

  “Yep, I have you in my sights.”

  “Good. We’re ready for pick-up.”

  “I’ll be there in a few.”

  He tucked his phone away only to jump at the sound of the metal exit door slamming. His hand was already reaching for his knife when Roxi appeared.

  “Damn that was fun! Did you like my distraction?” Her eyes sparkled and she had her thumbs hooked in her belt loops. “They’re still running around in there like a bunch of brainless zombies.” She laughed at her own joke then looked around and waved her hand in front of her nose. “Couldn’t you have picked a place that smelled a bit better?”

  “Don’t worry, our ride will be here in a minute.” Armand checked on Kathy. She was fully conscious now and struggling to free herself while shooting deadly glares his way.

  Nearby, Jeff groaned.

  “Want me to hit him with something?” Roxi looked around for a weapon, a gleam in her eye.

  “Maybe we should just call the police?” Lucy reached out and put a restraining hand on Roxi’s arm. “I know I wanted to avoid attention, but I don’t think going around knocking people out is a good idea. We can explain what happened and—”

  “No! We can’t do that,” Roxi snapped. “I mean…”

  Armand’s phone rang, interrupting the conversation. It was Rudi.

  “Incoming to the north. One male, alone, on foot. Could be nothing. I’m maintaining my post to provide you with cover just in case.”

  “Understood.” He relayed the information to Lucy and Roxi as he pocketed the phone.

  Lucy tensed. “Kathy mentioned something about others being involved in their scheme.”

  “It could be someone down on their luck searching the garbage.” Roxi shuffled nervously, her bravado of moments ago visibly fading.

  Armand said nothing, instead positioning himself so the women were behind him.

  “I see you have everything wrapped up. Excellent.” The silhouette of a man appeared, slowly walking down the alley, one hand casually tucked in his pocket.

  Armand noted the man’s scent. A shifter but on whose side? He pulled out his knife, the blade hissing softly as it left its sheath.

  Tall, well-built, the man stopped some distance away. “There’s no need for weapons.”

  “Who are you?” Armand scowled, something about the man made him uneasy.

  “Detective Soldoti.” He began to withdraw his hand from his pocket.

  Roxi made a strangled sound in her throat then clamped her lips tightly shut.

  Armand gave a low warning growl and gestured with his knife. “I advise you to move slowly. If I throw this, it will be in your heart before you can even blink.”

  “Of course.” The man withdrew a leather wallet from his pocket in carefully measured moves. Holding it out, he stepped closer. “I’m on special assignment dealing with data retrieval.” He flashed his badge before putting it away again.

  Armand replied cautiously. “Data retrieval? I’m not sure what you’re referring to.”

  “I’m fully aware of what’s goin
g on here. The subversive…er….” He paused and glanced at Lucy then continued, “I mean, criminal group. The stolen information on the memory stick. My job is to retrieve it and make sure it’s handed over to the proper authorities.”

  “Oh, thank heavens!” Lucy stepped forward, placing a hand on Armand’s arm. “This is too big for us to handle alone. We really need the help of the police.”

  “Indeed.” Soldoti gave her a sympathetic look. “We appreciate the assistance of well-meaning civilians such as yourself, but we can take it from here.”

  Armand still hesitated, wishing Lucy wasn’t holding his arm, that she was still safely behind him. His bear was telling him there was something off about the man. Soldoti seemed too smooth, too slick. “Might I ask how you learned of this…case?”

  “Reno Smith gave me the lead, naturally.” The words rolled from the man’s mouth without even a blink of the eye.

  Reno Smith. That was a name Ryne had mentioned. After a moment, he tucked his knife in his belt, out of the way yet still within easy reach.

  Soldoti held out his hand. “Mr. St. John, if I may have the memory stick? Before it falls into the wrong hands again?”

  Armand pulled it from his pocket and passed it to him.

  “And the back-up copy?” Soldoti held out his hand again.

  He raised a brow. “Back-up copy?”

  Soldoti smiled. “I’m sure you weren’t going to be so foolish as to put your faith in a group of criminals and hand over the only real bargaining chip you had.”

  The man was good. Or maybe Daniel had relayed his plan to Ryne who had then passed it on to Lycan Link.

  “Sir?” Soldoti prompted. “I’d hate to have to charge you for withholding evidence or being in possession of stolen goods.”

  He waited a beat, then removed the other USB from the hidden slit in his belt and gave it to the man.

  “Thank you.” Soldoti pocketed both items and then glanced at Kathy who was still muttering and struggling to free herself. Jeff was now sitting up, rubbing his head. Soldoti sighed. “Jeffrey, get up. You look ridiculous. It appears your first undercover assignment got the better of you.”