by Kassanna
Chapter Six
Ellory pushed the door completely open and climbed out of the old car. He was accustomed to finer establishments, but his clan was broke, so even he had to make sacrifices. It was a means to an end, much like staying in the decrepit room which wasn’t fit for the family of cockroaches that resided there. He stuffed the fifth of whiskey in his back pocket and stalked to his motel room. He glanced around at the discolored paint and cracked glass in his window. The air conditioner kicked on, and the pane rattled above it. He dug out the key attached to the large triangle of plastic with the number nine on it and stuck it in the keyhole.
That was something else he held against El. His brother was sitting on money, and lots of it, if he wasn’t mistaken. While the other half of his people were barely getting by, so many injustices. Eldridge had the pride fooled. He sat on his ass and made all the members work and pay into the tribe coffers. Hell, he wasn’t even an effective warrior. His only claim to work and leadership was arranging lucrative contracts every couple of months. He should know. He’d had people watching and reporting Eldridge’s movements for about a year. The man would leave for a few weeks and then reappear as if he’d never been gone.
Ellory stepped into the room and glanced around looking for anything amiss.
The lamp attached to the wall, between the full size beds, gave off a dull amber glow. Outdated bedspreads in washed out colors covered the mattresses. Bold striped wall paper, which was slowly peeling down from the ceiling, gave the place a circa seventies feel. Nothing appeared out of place. Ever since his arrival a few weeks ago, he’d only allowed the maid in when he was there. He stomped over to the desk and slid the half empty bottle into a drawer along with his car keys. He tapped on the button which would make the TV come on as he passed it on the way to the bathroom; the evening news filled the room.
He’d scouted the area and knew there was only one payphone in the three mile radius. It was located next to a dilapidated old corner store which had seen better days. The place was boarded up, but surprisingly, the phone still worked. Ellory washed his hands and grabbed a hand towel off the hook. He threw the terry cloth on the vanity and grabbed his room key. There was a diner on the route to the phone. He could stop there and get a nice rare steak. Something he could tear into. All he’d had for the last couple of days was the occasional rabbit. Those damn things didn’t have any real meat on them. He didn’t dare take down anything larger. El’s patrols would have spotted larger kills, and more than once he was sure he spotted the eagle gliding in the sky.
Not much longer, having his son come over as backup would be icing on the cake. Kaseo would be his enforcer in case one of El’s orphans decided to try and take his place. He could also romance the bird and keep her off her guard until all the plans were in effect. Kaseo could slip right into the Pride and be his eyes and ears; he was no longer sure he could trust Reese. Ellory skulked down the busted and weed ridden sidewalk.
Perhaps it would be better if he brought all his people over at once and completely infiltrated the Toevlucht Pride. His original idea was to bring his clan over in small groups until no one remained in Africa. The few shifters he’d brought with him had already established themselves in different facets of El’s pride. They funneled important information which had helped him form educated decisions. El wasn’t the only one who could formulate and execute a plan. At the moment, Reese was his only loose end. He probably should have put down the bastard weeks ago.
El’s pride consisted of youngsters playing full grown lions and lionesses. While his part of the Pride were older, more battle worn. With everyone in position, they could easily overtake the tribe after he killed El. Ellory sighed. Too bad his brother needed to die sooner rather than later. It would have been fun to make him suffer. No, tempting as it was to punish El, he would stick to the original strategy and switch it around as necessity dictated.
“Give me your money.” The voice came from the shadows between the buildings.
Ellory stopped. He’d been so caught up in his strategies . He never picked up on his surroundings. Ellory raised his head and sniffed the air; human. He wrinkled his nose when the odor of sickness reached him. “No,” he started to stroll away.
The man moved from the darkness and aimed a small revolver at him. “I said, I want all your money.” He cocked the gun. “Doesn’t matter how I get it, as long as I do.”
Ellory noticed the slight shake in his hand and the way his eye twitched. “I don’t think so. Run away sickly human. There are much bigger things than you that go bump in the night.”
The fella’s hand jerked, and he stretched his arm. “Have it your way.”
Before he could pull the trigger, Ellory partially shifted and leapt at the guy. Using his body to push the assailants arm away he attacked, burying his claws in the fella’s chest as he took him down. They crashed on the cement walkway, and a loud pop rent the air. Ellory raised his paw and swiped at the man’s throat aiming for his artery. Blood sprayed across the walls and his chest. A final grunt and the-would-be thief went still. Ellory pushed up off the dead man, stood, and waited a moment before toeing him with his boot. When the guy didn’t move, he shrugged and turned to hike back to the motel. The phone call could wait, but the kill had given him a serious taste for steak, a nice bloody one. He needed a shower and a change of clothes, and then he would go to that diner. This time he would drive.