“Are you sure?” Kandice asked. “It’s a lot of money.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Lance said. “Besides, we’ve been over this. You need a car that can go fast.”
Everyone helped make dinner and drank quite a bit. When they were finishing up with dinner, Lance told Blake and Kandice they could stay the night. They both agreed. She was in no shape to drive, and Blake wasn’t either. He wasn’t sloppy, but if he drank any more, he would get there.
It was hilarious to see Slava and Lance drunk, with all they drank this was the first time to reach that point in front of her. They started singing Russian drinking songs. Lance tried to teach Blake and her how to sing them, but the words were too much, and Lance’s slurring speech didn’t help.
At 2:00 AM they called it a night. Slava had staggered off to bed after midnight, and Blake passed out on the couch. Lance told Kandice goodnight and gave her a kiss on the cheek before stumbling up the stairs to bed. Kandice laid down on the other end of the couch with her head next to Blake’s. The stale liquor on his breath lingered in the air. It only took a few minutes, and she was out like a light.
Chapter Seven
Tuesday, September 27th
The next day, Kandice woke up a little after nine with a splitting headache. She sat up, and Lance brought her a shot of vodka with a packet of powder.
“This will take the headache away in about ten minutes,” he said. “It really works.”
The powder tasted like dirt in her mouth, so she appreciated the vodka to wash it down. The slight burn helped mask the poor taste.
“How do you want your eggs?” Slava asked from behind the counter.
“Any way is fine,” she said.
“Fried it is.”
When she sat down at the breakfast table with everyone, there was a large jug of orange juice, toasted bagels, eggs, and strange bacon.
“It’s turkey,” Blake told Kandice when she picked it up.
“Oh,” she said. “I didn’t take y’all for health conscious.”
“We’re not,” Lance said. “Slava doesn’t eat pork.”
“Pigs are filthy animals,” Slava said.
She took a cautious bite. “It’s actually pretty good.”
“Yeah,” Blake said. “I’ve already had two pieces.”
When they finished eating, Kandice did the dishes, despite Slava and Lance both protesting. She gave Blake a look, and he reluctantly gathered up the dishes and helped clean them.
“Are you ready to go car shopping?” Lance asked Kandice when they had finished.
“No,” she said. “I’ve got to go home and change.”
“Oh. Right,” he said.
He was still wearing the same clothes as the day before. Men.
“I’ll follow you, and we’ll take my SUV to the dealership,” Lance said.
“Thank you for breakfast,” Blake said. “I should head home. I’ve already got four missed calls from Aunt Jackie.”
“You can move in with me you know,” Kandice said.
It just came out. It hadn’t been the plan to ask him to move in so soon as the slightest change was difficult for him to process. But Blake moving in with her would have been what their mother wanted. Plus, he was great company, and her only family left.
“Are you sure?” Blake asked. “I mean, you’ve only got the one room. Wouldn’t it be weird if I was living in your living room?”
“Not at all,” she said. “You don’t have to answer now. Think about it and let me know.”
“Okay,” he said, and left to head home.
Lance picked up his keys. “Are you ready?”
“Sure.”
♦ ♦ ♦
They pulled into a small dealership that wasn’t far from her apartment. There were maybe thirty cars to choose from. Even though they only sold used cars, they were all well kept. There was one row of six sports cars that caught her eye, going fast sounded exhilarating.
When they parked, a man came out to greet them. “Hi, Lance. Do you need to trade in your SUV already?”
“No, not today,” Lance said. “We’re here to get her a new car. Kandice, this is Mike. Mike, Kandice.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Mike said, and shook her hand. “Do you know what you’re looking for?”
Lance turned to Kandice. “Sports car?”
“Yes,” she said with a giant smile.
“Right this way,” Mike said.
He led them over to the row of cars Kandice had seen as they pulled in. There was a little BMW, and a Porsche, but the midnight-blue Mustang caught her eye. It looked fast, but also had enough room for more than two people.
“Great choice,” Mike said. “This is a 2010 Mustang GT. Semi-automatic transmission, with paddle-shifters. Zero to sixty in 4.9 seconds, and tops out at about 150 miles per hour.”
“How much?” Lance asked.
“Same as usual?” Mike whispered to Lance. “All cash?”
“Yes, same as usual.”
Mike pulled out his phone and tapped away.
“With all the fees, it would be eighteen five,” Mike said.
“Sounds good. Get the keys.”
“Are you sure? That’s a lot of money.” Kandice said, after Mike had walked back towards the building.
“It’s okay,” Lance said. “Besides, he’ll set up all the paperwork to where it’s not in your name. It’s well worth the extra price.”
Mike came back and handed the keys to Kandice.
“We’ll be back in about twenty minutes,” Lance said.
“Sounds good,” Mike said. “Don’t wreck it.”
They both laughed.
Kandice got into the driver’s seat, and Lance got into the passenger.
“How do I drive this?”
“It’s basically the same as any car,” Lance said. “You’ll just use the paddles behind the steering wheel, the right to shift up, and the left to shift down.”
Kandice started the car and pulled it forward. When they got on the street, the car took off like a rocket.
“Press the right,” Lance said.
She did, and the needle dropped out of the red.
“Again,” he said.
The needle dropped again.
They came to a light, so she slowed down.
“Press the left twice,” he said.
She did, and the engine revved up a little.
Once they got through the light, they took the ramp onto the highway. Kandice shifted up this time without having to be told. When she merged onto the highway, the car was already doing 70mph.
“Take the toll road,” Lance said. “We’ll open it up and see what it can do.”
She took the toll road overpass at 85mph. The car hugged the turn and didn’t slide at all. Once they were on the highway, Lance turned on the police scanner that was in the middle of the dashboard.
“No cops,” he said. “Go as fast as you can.”
Kandice got into the far-left lane and put the peddle down. The car climbed to 120mph and she let off the gas. It was far too fast for her comfort. The car wasn’t shaky, but she didn’t feel in control.
“I can’t go that fast.”
“That’s okay,” he said. “You’ll get used to it. It’s just important that the car can do it if you ever need to get away.”
They took an exit and pulled into a gas station so Lance could get into the driver’s seat. He wanted to test out the engine and see how fast the car could really go.
When they were back on the highway, Lance got up to 145mph before their exit forced him to slow down.
They were back in the dealership parking lot in under ten minutes.
“What did you think?” Mike asked as they got out of the car.
“Do you like it?” Lance asked Kandice.
“Yes.”
“We’ll take it,” Lance said.
“Excellent,” Mike said. “Give me about an hour, and I’ll have all the paperwork done.”
They spent th
e hour finding a storage facility that was open 24/7 and had security on site to store her moped long term. The unit they settled on was a ten-minute drive from Kandice’s apartment.
When they got back to the dealership, it had been two hours.
Mike was waiting for them.
“Are we good to go?” Lance asked.
“Yes Sir,” Mike said.
He had put the dealer tags on the car and showed them the registration. It was under a Susan Carroll. They went into Mike’s office, where Lance counted out $18,240 for Mike. The receipt showed the car sold for $9,800, with taxes and title. Mike counted out the money, put half into an envelope, and half into a safe behind his desk.
“As always, it was a pleasure,” Mike said, and shook Lance’s hand, then Kandice’s.
He gave Kandice the keys and walked them out to the car.
“If you need anything, just stop by or call,” Mike said.
“I’m sure I’ll see you again soon,” Lance said.
Mike beamed with a smile.
Kandice got into her new car to follow Lance back to his house.
Chapter Eight
Thursday, September 29th
Thursday night, Blake sent Kandice a text.
Blake: We’ve got the passwords. I’ve checked, and I have full access. When can we meet?
Kandice: Be at Lance’s in 45 minutes.
She sent Lance a text.
Kandice: On my way over. Blake will be there soon.
When she was locking up, her upstairs neighbor was sitting on the stairs. He didn’t say a word. She looked at him when she got to the stairs; he stood up and walked back to his apartment. Good. She hoped he learned his lesson, and wouldn’t try that shit again on anyone else.
She sped along the back roads to get to Lance’s house. There were always cops patrolling the main streets. But by staying inside the neighborhoods it was easier speed without fear of being caught. Her new car was a beast, it was like it wasn’t capable of doing the speed limit on any road. The slightest pressure on the gas pedal, and it took off.
♦ ♦ ♦
When she arrived at Lance’s, he had one laptop connected to the TV, and another on the coffee table to take notes with. There was a pad of paper and pen waiting for Slava and Kandice. All they needed was Blake to show up with the passwords, and they would be in business.
After a few minutes, Kandice asked for a drink.
Lance poured a double into a glass. She thanked him and downed the drink in two large gulps.
Her body was starting to crave vodka. The thought of the clear liquor’s slight burn made Kandice’s mouth water. Turning into her father was her biggest fear, but with changing being the reason it made it easier to keep the amount of alcohol consumed in check.
Slava said something in Russian to Lance and he walked to the front door before there was a knock. Kandice heard Blake and Lance greet each other, and then Blake walked into the living room with his laptop.
“I’ve got it all here,” Blake said. “Email, calendar, storage drive, I’ve even got access to his personal phone number and voicemail.”
“Here,” Lance said, unplugging the HDMI cable from their laptop and handing it to Blake. “Show us what you’ve got.”
Blake plugged the cable in, and all four of them sat down to take notes. This time around, they prioritized with the mayor’s calendar, and backed up all his emails. It took four hours to back up everything, including all the pictures and files the mayor had on his cloud storage drive.
Kandice stretched back in her seat, ready for bed. She wanted to get home and sleep before they started the next phase of surveillance with this new information. With the mayor’s iternary for the next night, Lance and her planned to track him down and see if they could get close.
Blake would to keep reading through the mayor’s emails to find anything else important.
Lance and Slava planned to stay up longer to comb through the files from the mayor’s cloud storage.
Blake left with Kandice, clearly uncomfortable staying by himself with Lance and Slava. They accommodated his quirks, and tried to make him feel welcome, but Kandice knew Blake was uncomfortable around people he didn’t know well.
“Love the new car,” Blake said. “When do I get to drive it?”
“Maybe in a couple weeks,” she said. “I’m still getting used to it myself.”
They drove to the end of the street together. Blake took a right, and Kandice peeled out to the left. Each headed to their own homes. It was well past 3:00 AM, and Kandice’s bed called to her.
Chapter Nine
Saturday, October 1st
The only light came from the glow of the street lamps far from her. Kandice looked up, but there was no moon in sight. Lance and her had to split up for the night to find the mayor. It was eerie being on a stake out alone. He had better tracking skills than her and having backup was reassuring. Plus, there was always the bonus of being alone with him.
Lance: Compound looks clear.
Kandice: I’ve found his SUV, but there’s no sign of him.
Lance: Keep looking.
Her location to watch was the gravel mine while he had gone to the house. There was a lower ditch on the roadside that her car could slide into without getting stuck. With the lack of moon, it was out of sight. The metal warehouse was about 250 yards away from her; with the binoculars, everything in front was visible. There were at least twelve cars in view, and maybe more behind the building. The mayor’s SUV sat in the front, next to a second identical one. It was the vehicle from the first night Lance took her on surveillance at the mayor’s house.
Two men wearing suits came around the corner from behind the building. Kandice could make out the rifles hanging at their hips because they kept their hands resting on them. When they turned the corner on the far right of the building, Kandice lost them in the shadows.
Kandice: They’ve got at least two guards. Maybe more inside. I’ll never get past everyone. There’s at least twelve or more people inside. No idea how many Aether Walkers.
Lance: Hold tight. Just keep an eye out on them. Take photos of those you can so we can try to identify them. If you notice any new Aether Walkers, take notes of what they look like. I’ve probably seen them before. If not, I’m sure Slava has.
Kandice clicked off her phone before finishing her next text. A new SUV was pulling into the mine. It was less than 30 yards away. She dropped behind the hill of dirt before the headlights caught her and listened as the sound of the tires got further away.
When she couldn’t hear the SUV moving anymore, she popped her head up. It had parked with the rest of the vehicles. Four men wearing suits were getting out, pulling two women with them. The women wore cocktail dresses as if they were heading to a dinner party. Kandice used her phone to take a picture, but it couldn’t zoom in far enough to get a detailed photo of their faces.
The men had to hold the women at the front door until the patrol came back around and let them in. The women were flailing their legs, but the men holding them didn’t seem to notice, or care.
Kandice: They just brought in two women they kidnapped.
Lance: They’re probably for a human sacrifice.
Kandice: I’ve got to do something. I can’t let them kill those women.
There had to be a way to save them. It would be impossible to stand by and do nothing. It would eat at her for weeks, knowing they’d be alive had she done something.
Lance: Don’t do anything!
Lance: Anything! They’re extremely dangerous!
Lance: If there’s more than two other Aether Walkers in there with the mayor, it will be too much for you to take on by yourself.
He was right, but knowing there were two women about to die was not sitting well. She leaned over and almost puked, but it was only dry heaves. Her stomach was in knots.
Lance: I’m inside his house. There was a chimney on the roof. It was tight, but I got in fine. No motion detectors in this
room. Windows are clean, too. I found us a way in. Just have to take care of the rest of the house.
Kandice: We need to talk to Blake. I think he’ll be able to get the security system offline.
Lance: I’m going to find a way out of here without going through the chimney. I don’t know if I could climb out.
Kandice: Let me know when you make it out. I’ll keep an eye out here.
Cars zoomed by every couple of minutes on the highway close to where Kandice crouched. Like clockwork, the guards outside made their round about every six minutes. They were the only two guards outside, but there had to be more inside.
♦ ♦ ♦
After about three hours of staking out the building, everyone came out. Lance had gotten out of the mayor’s house and made it back to his own. He text her to stay put, and out of sight.
Aether Walkers, and men dressed in suits, made their way out. There were thirty or more people. It was next to impossible to note all the Aether Walkers at the speed they made it to their vehicles.
She had to drop behind the dirt mound again as the cars and SUVs pulled out of the min. When there was no more sound, Kandice popped her head up to verify it was all clear for her to leave. The mayor’s SUV were still there, and at that moment the guards who had been walking the perimeter came out of the building carrying a large black bag.
They opened the back of the SUV and threw the bag into it. A couple minutes later, they brought out a second bag. They had to be body bags, most likely filled with the women they dragged in. Her stomach tightened up again.
Kandice: I have an opening!
Lance: No! You can’t take him alone. Just wait.
Kandice watched as the mayor walked out with a woman beside him. It was the same female Aether Walker who had been at the mayor’s compound. Her dress was fire-red. Kandice couldn’t help but stare at her through her phone.
Theft of Light Page 4