by TR Cameron
Ruby commented, “Interesting that it’s a pawnshop again.”
Her partner nodded. “It seems as if these places are more than they appear.”
About eight feet off the ground was a small window with bars on the front of it. Ruby gestured. “I think we need to look inside.”
“Easy enough for me.” Claws slipped out from beneath Idryll’s fingers, and she scaled the wall in near silence, taking a position on the right side of the window. Ruby again wished she’d brought a device that would let her see remotely, then climbed the old building’s cracked brick. It was difficult, and she lost her grip with one hand more than once on the way up, but eventually found a spot she could use to peer through the dirty glass.
Inside were three dwarves, rather than the two she’d been aware of. She recognized the third, and the listening device brought his voice clearly to her. Grentham said, “So, everything went well?”
One of the others gestured at the case on the desk. “Assuming that’s what you want, yes.”
Their boss asked, “You didn’t check it out?”
They shrugged. “You told us not to. So we didn’t.”
Grentham nodded. “Good people. I’ll take a look. Then we can go out for a celebratory drink.” The lock clicked, revealing an arm cuff that resembled an octopus, the tentacles reaching around to create the space for the limb. He closed the case, seeming satisfied. “Excellent. This is going to make us a lot of money.” He stood and gestured them toward the door. “You head out. I’ll be with you in a second.” When they’d departed, he lifted a panel on the floor and knelt beside it. The angle was wrong for her to see what he was doing, but eventually, a clicking sounded and the clang of something heavy and metal being shifted followed. He moved out of the way as he secured the safe, which allowed her to confirm what it was, then replaced the floorboard.
He walked from the room, and as she got ready to climb down, one of the other dwarves’ voices came over her listening device. “Hey boss, we heard about a break-in at Stanley’s place. Was that us?”
“No, although I wish it were. Seems like we have another player in town. Tomorrow, you guys will do the rounds of our other places and make sure our defenses are fully adequate. In the meantime, anything that hurts our competitors only helps us, right?” Laughter and words of agreement faded as they grew further away, followed by the sound of a door closing.
Ruby looked at Idryll and shook her head. “Okay, it seems like we have problems on top of problems here. I need to think about this. Hungry?”
Chapter Eleven
A restaurant Ruby had always thoroughly enjoyed was a family-owned diner just north of the Strip, not far enough to be in the expensive residencies, but distant enough from the main drag that it wasn’t overwhelmed with tourists. She shifted their illusions so they appeared to be humans, albeit different ones than she’d used before, and they selected a seat in one of the many booths that ran around the dining room’s exterior.
Waiters and waitresses meandered through the space, giving the right amount of sass and service to keep things light and enjoyable. She ordered coffee, Coke, and a plate of pecan pancakes. Idryll opted for steak and a side of bacon. That earned her a look from the waitress, but then the woman shrugged and headed for the back. Moments later, they had beverages in hand and Ruby wrapped them in an aural shield so their words wouldn’t be understandable from more than a half-foot away.
“There’s a lot more happening here than I thought. I’m not sure if everything changed while I was at school, or if it’s always been like this and I simply didn’t see it. Certainly my parents never shared anything about it.”
Idryll nodded. “Would they have been likely to? For instance, do you think your brother knows, since you’ve mentioned he’s actively involved with the business?”
She considered the question, then shook her head. “I doubt it. He would’ve said something about it. He’s not all that good at keeping secrets when something’s interesting. I’m sure he’d have a plan for how the casino could defend against it, or more likely get an advantage from it.” Ruby laughed. “He’s definitely a thinker.”
Her partner replied, “When things are complicated, it’s usually wisest to break them down into their smallest parts. Perhaps you should do that.”
Ruby rewarded the comment with a scowl. “I know that. I’m not an idiot.”
“Then why do you act like one so often?”
“You know, the stories always say the venamisha is a good thing. I’m not sure anyone really understands the potential consequences.”
The shapeshifter laughed. “The result is not the same for everyone. You’re just lucky.”
“Yeah. Luck. That’s what I’d call it. What are the other results?”
Idryll lifted an eyebrow, which was gold to match her hair. “That would be telling.”
Ruby stared hard at her, then shook her head. “I’m not fooled. You don’t even know. You’re a liar.”
The other woman’s grin widened. “If it makes you feel good to think so, by all means.” She made a small gesture with her hand as if giving permission. They were quiet for a time while Ruby thought. Their meals came, and they remained silent for a time after that while they ate, and Ruby thought some more.
When they finished eating, she said, “All right. So, let’s assume for the sake of argument that the first three events are connected. I feel confident about that, although we have no specific proof tying Grentham and his business to the events at the Mist.”
Idryll nodded. “Still, it does seem logical. I believe we can make that mental leap.”
“So then we have at least two other questions. First, what’s up with the attack on the pawnshop, and second, what are Grentham and his dwarf buddies doing under the guise of their pawnshops?”
“That wraps it up pretty well. Also, what’s the ultimate goal of the attacks on the casinos? Is it only a move to get more security business? It doesn’t seem like that would be worth all this effort.”
Ruby sighed. “You’re right. That’s another big one. I think we can conclude there’s some serious danger in the city at the moment. As long as these people are around, there will continue to be danger. Do you think if I shared this information with Sheriff Alejo, she’d be able to handle it?” Part of her wanted that answer to be yes, but not all of her. Maybe not even most.
Her partner shook her head. “Not without a great deal of magical support. Human weapons are no doubt powerful, at least judging by those I’ve seen on television, but it would be difficult to defeat magical attackers with them.”
Ruby leaned back in her booth and closed her eyes. “I agree. I guess that’s why Agent Sheen and her people are around, so they can do that sort of thing at a high level. Still, there’s no way they’d be able to spend a lot of time here, assuming they were willing to come in the first place.”
Idryll tapped the table idly with her fingers. “The truth is, even if we take care of this particular situation, someone will step up to fill the power vacuum that results. It’s a guarantee, just the way of the world.” She chuckled. “The way of both worlds, near as I can tell.”
Ruby groaned and straightened in her seat again. “You’re not wrong, but you need to quit watching so much television.” She drummed her fingers on the table as if competing with her partner’s taps while considering her options. “I guess I’m also uniquely suited to help. I have a convenient disguise as a human already. I have my family’s resources to draw upon, so I don’t need to find a job to pay the bills. And I have access to you, and Keshalla, and Margrave.”
Idryll added, “Don’t forget the Drow you met.”
She nodded. “Right. I guess if I was making a complete list of my assets, I have my family who can feed me information, my friends who can do the same, especially Demetrius, and even Abbott Thomas if I need a refuge.”
“When you put it that way, it seems like you’ve already made the decision.”
Ruby’s re
ply was interrupted by the arrival of their dessert orders. Idryll had opted for vanilla ice cream that she licked off her spoon in a manner that spoke to her feline nature. Ruby had chosen pie, apple and cinnamon in a perfect homemade crust. It was one of the things she’d always loved best about the place, and she was thoroughly happy to discover its quality hadn’t slipped since she’d been there last. She got a coffee refill, then nodded decisively.
“Okay. If we’re going to do this, we need to get a lot of things done quickly. We’ll need tools, so a visit to Margrave is in order. It would be smart to have magic tools too, so I guess I should see Shentia. Finally, and maybe most importantly, we need to figure out what to do about disguises. We can’t count on my concentration holding up illusions in the middle of a fight. The one thing we definitely will not do is put my family and friends at risk.”
Idryll nodded with a satisfied look on her face. “I knew as soon as I saw you that being around you would be exciting. About time things got started for real.”
Chapter Twelve
Grentham's black corporate SUV pulled up at a warehouse fifteen miles outside of Ely, with his phone locked in the signal-proof box and the vehicle’s location system deactivated. He opened the passenger door and hopped to the ground, then walked with a brisk stride toward the building’s entrance. His driver hustled ahead to open it for him, and he moved through it without stopping. Inside were a dozen mercenaries, hired and delivered by a local infomancer Grentham had worked with on several occasions. The computer-happy witch was satisfied so long as she was well-paid enough to afford the tech she craved, and his lucrative side business in selling magic items ensured he had whatever money he needed to please her. For him, the game had ceased to be about wealth some time before, and he now primarily regarded it as a tool to get what he really wanted: power, and to a lesser extent, status.
As his rented crew gathered in a semicircle around him, his thoughts turned to his absent partner. He wasn’t sure if Jared knew about his black-market magic stores masquerading as pawnshops and didn’t care in any case. It didn’t impact the amount of time or effort he put in on behalf of the business, so the other man had no say in it. He didn’t doubt that they would eventually wind up in a showdown over control of the company. He hoped to simply buy Jared out since his partner enjoyed wealth and the women who were attracted to it. Not the kind of woman I’d want in my bed. I would much rather have someone who wanted me for me than for the pretty baubles I gifted them. Still, anything that keeps him busy and off my back is a win.
He nodded at the gathering. “So. Thanks for coming, and as agreed, half-payment is being deposited into your accounts right now.” Unlike the group that had tried to cause trouble at the Ebon Dragon, which he’d outfitted himself, he’d paid these extra to bring along their toys. The previous outcome hadn’t been all he’d hoped for, and the superstitious side of him wanted to change things up a little, like requesting new dice when the ones you were using went cold.
“We have three goals today. Goal number one is to steal everything that looks remotely useful or valuable.” While he wasn’t obsessed with money, he was also a firm believer in the philosophy of waste not, want not. “Goal number two is to take out anyone who opposes us. If it’s possible to do it non-lethally, great. If we can’t, not an issue.” People who decide to work for security companies know they’re stepping into a risky situation. While they might not have understood the potential for this particular sort of action, that’s not my problem. “Third, we break into their computer system and strip every bit of data we can. Plus, we grab hard drives, laptops, whatever.” The mercenaries nodded. He didn’t feel a need to share the fourth objective with them since he’d handle that himself.
He looked them over with a critical eye to ensure they were ready. Each wore body armor of a similar type, although the pieces were hardly perfectly matched. He figured some had gotten it from military surplus, and others had probably stolen it. Most of the mercs carried at least one pistol along with a rifle, and many of them sported additional handguns, grenades, and doubtless several other kinds of wicked implements of destruction. “Any questions?”
A man with a day’s stubble, dark eyes, and a crewcut nodded. “Do we get a share of what we take?”
Assuming you survive, sure. Grentham had no problem paying what he promised. He also had no problem not paying, should someone fall along the way. Professional soldiers such as these would know the drill. He mostly played straight with them because he didn’t want to sour his good reputation. No doubt I’ll need more of these people down the road, especially if Jared doesn’t feel like being bought out. “Twenty-five percent, split among you, to be paid after everything is sold.” Less professional men and women would have wanted assurances. This bunch nodded in agreement, knowing how the system worked. “Any other questions?”
A woman to his right asked, “Any principals to capture rather than kill?”
He shook his head. “No. Everyone’s a target. Except me, naturally, and my guards. I know this goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. You’ll get no games from me, but play no games with me. If we do our jobs, we all make it out substantially wealthier. Let’s not do anything to mess that up.” More nods of agreement gave him an optimistic perspective on the night’s coming events.
He clapped his hands together. “Time to move.” He waved for them to follow him outside, lifted the burner phone to his ear, and spoke a single word. A moment later, two beat-up vans pulled into the lot, with plenty of room inside for the team. He stepped back into his SUV, which had been stolen from a dealership barely an hour before. “Let’s do this.”
Their target for the evening was the Crystal Security Company, which had the contracts to guard several of the casinos in town, including the Kraken. They weren’t the biggest, but they were in the top three. Grentham had offered the argument that it might make more sense to spread out the targets, but Jared had an obvious grudge against the Atlanteans, for reasons unknown, and wouldn’t hear of it. Ultimately, it didn’t matter much.
Their boss had deep plans, and he was clearly willing to play a long game, so eventually all the casino owners would get a taste. Grentham frowned as he wondered what the person who’d come into town on the private jet at the boss’ request was up to. He didn’t like to think their employer would detail someone to watch them, but so far the people he had out quietly watching for the newcomer hadn’t reported any direct sighting or other evidence of him. Maybe the chucklehead is taking a vacation before getting to work. Grentham shook his head. Too damn many unknowns going on in Magic City right now. I’m against it.
Their target was in a different office park than their company occupied, but it could have been built from the same template. A high chain fence surrounded it, with a decorative grassy area filling the space between the outer barrier and the building itself. Doubtless there would be defenses seeded in that expanse, more likely technological than magical, but one could never be sure. Either way, his team was prepared to handle whatever the other bunch might have come up with.
The structure was three stories high, metal-skinned, and free of windows except on the top floor. The blueprints his infomancer had acquired indicated the ground level held only a garage, equipment storage, and a wide open space that was probably a firing range or other training ground, plus the lobby area. Above it lay conference rooms, offices, and other public-facing spaces. The top level was home to their executive suites, for sure, and also their computer center, if the power distribution system hadn’t changed. He and Jared had discussed a surgical strike to that level, focused on stealing data and information, but that wouldn’t necessarily take the other company out of the game. So his current plan was to breach at the bottom and let half of his hired guns clear it. At the same time, he and the rest would go up to the second story and take out any defenders, then he and his two bodyguards would take care of the last floor, which they presumed would be lightly guarded.
Altho
ugh they’d tried to keep news of the incursion into their headquarters quiet, nothing was ever truly secret for long in their small corporate community, and word had inevitably gotten out. Thus, he expected to find this place better defended than it might have been a couple of weeks before. That also didn’t worry him. He would follow the people he’d brought, and should the need come for him to play a role in dispatching the defenders, he would be more than happy to get his hands dirty. The mercenaries had selected one of theirs to act as lead, and Grentham walked beside him ahead of the rest as they approached the fence. They had all added masks or balaclavas to their wardrobe to ensure anonymity.
Everyone wore headsets tied to a secure comm system to coordinate their activities when they split off to their various assignments. They approached from the west side of the building, which offered them the most cover. They’d overflown the place a day earlier with a drone and had sent several cars past the location as well to ensure good reconnaissance. Their first concern was the cameras mounted on tall poles inside the fence. They stopped walking at the maximum distance they could manage, and one of the mercenaries lifted a suppressed rifle. She sighted carefully, pulled the trigger three times, and destroyed the ones that might have had an angle to capture their image.