Cross Keys

by Ally Shields

  Kam stopped and pretended to watch a truck being loaded as she surreptitiously checked up the street and behind her to see if she could spot the man with the binoculars. She didn’t see him, but he could be standing just out of sight. She shivered, suddenly feeling eyes on her.

  A movement drew her gaze toward the Lormarc warehouse. Their guild master stood with one hand on the door, staring at her.

  Great. Now she’d been caught spying. Kam brazened it out by nodding at him before casually walking away. Let them wonder what she was doing there.

  Was she just being paranoid about all this spy business or were her suspicions warranted? The man with the binoculars could have been a curious tourist. Then why did he disappear so quickly? And why did she have the gnawing in her stomach?

  * * *

  Two hours later Lormarc’s guild master, Dorth Olseon, reported her visit. Seth threw back his head and laughed when he heard about the nod. He could just see her doing that. Her pert nose stuck in the air.

  “Cheeky gal,” Olseon muttered.

  “She is that.” Seth leaned back in his chair. Had she received his package yet? In response to her “bill,” he’d sent her a new pair of Manolos, even sexier than the shoe he still had at home on his dresser. “But she didn’t go inside, or talk to anyone?”

  “Nope, as soon as I spotted her, she left.”

  “Interesting. Well, let me know if she returns.” His smile faded, and he moved on to more serious matters. “What about the mysterious van? Was it there again last night?”

  “Yep. Saturday night. It came from behind the Ryndel building and drove right past me. There were two inside, driver and passenger. Both had on caps pulled low, so I couldn’t see their eyes, but I saw the driver’s hands. Portal glow.”

  Damn. Seth steepled his fingers. Olseon had mentioned a similar incident two weeks ago, and apparently there had been one before that. The guild master was a fitness fanatic and went jogging at night when the docks weren’t so busy. A month ago, he’d spotted the elves’ van cruising the wharf area without headlights. Not only was that unusual, but the small transport was not what any of the guilds normally used. Olseon would know. He’d made it his business to know everything about the other guilds—especially Ryndel. Seth hadn’t asked how, because he didn’t want to know.

  Seth was more worried about the van, and Olseon’s reaction to its furtive activities. This was the third incident, yet the guild master didn’t seem as concerned as he should be. He hadn’t even mentioned the first incident until the second one came up in a daily report. Today he’d come in to report on Kameo Ryndel and might not have mentioned the truck if Seth hadn’t asked. His lack of interest demonstrated rather poor judgment. And why hadn’t he taken the matter to Rhyden? Seth was the new guy on the block in New Orleans.

  He realized Olseon was still waiting for him to respond. “Have someone follow them the next time. If it’s the Ryndels, we may finally have our chance to catch them doing something illegal. Why else would they be so secretive?” How her eyes would flash if he caught her or her family in some criminal enterprise.

  Olseon beamed. “Aye, and if we could prove it, the Lormarc Guild would be the only one in favor with the king.”

  Seth nodded. She might not be feeling so confident if the king renounced her family. Oddly, the thought didn’t give him as much pleasure as he’d expected.

  * * *

  Kam checked her office at the end of the day. A note on the door said she had a package waiting at the manager’s office. She went down to the first floor, collected the box, and dropped it on her desk. Had someone found an artifact? Maybe this was from a seller or distributer. Why no return address? She turned it over in her hands, then slit the tape with a letter opener.

  She pulled off the wrapping, opened the top. Her hands stilled. A bubble of laughter grew until she couldn’t contain it. She burst out laughing. The delicious red shoes inside had a delicate lacey look and a very high heel. Definitely something a man would choose. There was a card.

  My dear Ms. Ryndel,

  I am holding your shoe hostage until we meet again. Not wanting to deprive you entirely of such powerful female accoutrements, please accept these as down payment on my bill. I’d gladly pay this and more for the view in the elevator.

  Seth

  Her mouth dropped open. How dare he? But she gurgled again at his sheer audacity. She leaned over and slipped them on her feet. Perfect fit. She walked a few steps, admiring them from each angle. Cute. Actually, more than cute. Super sexy. For a brief instant she thought about sending them back, but no way was that going to happen.

  But why hadn’t he just returned her shoe?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The next morning, Kam put aside thoughts of the new shoes sitting in her closet and focused on Guild business. She’d decided to talk to her father directly about making changes to the New Orleans headquarters. She set her portal for the home guild and stepped through.

  The guild house bustled with activity, moving goods in and out of Elvenrude. Sawyer Ryndel was already in his office.

  “Kam, I didn’t expect you. Is something wrong?” He hurried forward; his face openly concerned.

  “No, nothing like that.” She held out both hands. “I just wanted to talk with you about the guild. Do you have a moment?”

  His face broke into a smile. “Of course. If I didn’t, I’d make time for you.” He squeezed her hands and kissed her on the cheek. Waving her toward a chair, he returned to his desk. “What’s on your mind?”

  Beginning with the arbitration, she told him about her visit to the Cityside guild, the man with the binoculars and the cameras on the Lormarc building. When Kam finished, her father’s face held a slight frown.

  “Thom should have told me about his concerns.”

  “I think he did,” she said gently. “But you can’t run both ends of this operation from here. A family member should be visiting all of our Cityside guilds on a regular basis. The human world is very different and requires methods we’d never consider here. I hate to bring it up, but the Lormarcs have made very good adaptations in New Orleans. Increased safety precautions, and their administrative office is guaranteed to impress buyers.”

  He leaned back and regarded her. “I see. Falling behind, are we? I would gladly appoint you to run things over there, but this is the first interest you’ve shown.”

  “Oh, no.” She held up her hands. “I’m not looking for another job. I’m just telling you what I saw. We’re going to be poor competition if we don’t do something.”

  “I could assign Caleb.”

  Her gaze flew to his face. “That would be too hasty, Father, if you’re thinking of him as an in-law. Caleb and I have made no decision to wed. As long as you—and he—understand that, he would do a fine job for you. But I’m not sure he wants to spend that much time outside of Elvenrude.” In fact, Caleb had expressed a strong dislike for life in the human world.

  Her father sighed, shaking his head. “Then you’ll have to fill in until you or Estelle marry. I won’t raise unwarranted hopes by putting him in that position, only to take it back at some future date.”

  “Nice try, but you’re not going to bully me into taking on such a huge job.” Kam uncrossed her legs and stood. “I need to be getting back, but I’ll help out in New Orleans, and only New Orleans, for a while. By the time my current assignment with Acquisitions ends, you’ll have to make other arrangements.”

  “Bully?” The corners of her father’s eyes crinkled. “Since when have I tried to bully you?” He got up and came around the desk. “Your mother claims you have me wound around your finger.” His smile broadened as he showed her to the door. “I don’t doubt for a moment that she’s right. Now, be on your way. I have things to do. Make any changes in New Orleans that you think are warranted. Just keep me informed. Thom will be pleased to have you involved, but I think you already knew that.”

  She shook her head as she exited the guild door int
o Elvenrude. That had gone well, except now she had an extra job. She’d walked right into that one.

  She turned her steps toward the palace to talk with Captain Brunic. He wasn’t there, but it didn’t take long to hunt him down at the Guard Academy, leaning on the fence that enclosed the training grounds. He was studying the latest recruit class.

  The area brought back mixed memories for Kam. The fencing, the agility trials, the horsemanship classes, the hand-to-hand combat. Women weren’t that common in the guard, and her acceptance from classmates and instructors had been hard won. She’d had to be faster, smarter, and more agile to counteract the greater muscle mass of the male recruits, and just as good at weaponry. It had been challenging, and in those early weeks she had often spent sleepless nights, unable to find a comfortable position that didn’t aggravate some bruise or abrasion.

  But the saying what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger had proven true. In the end, Kam graduated as a Silver Sabre, the top one percent of her class, and number one in marksmanship with her throwing knives.

  Today’s training class was crossbow archery. She’d been number two in those final rankings.

  “They look pretty good,” she commented as she joined him.

  “What do you think of the one on the end?”

  She followed his nod to a slim figure who’d just placed an arrow dead center in the bullseye. “Good stance, strong pull, good eye. A natural talent.”

  “Hmm. Yes, that is what I thought. Lormarc woman. It won’t be easy for her.”

  “She wouldn’t be here if she was looking for easy.”

  “I guess you would know.” He turned his head to look at her. “Has something happened?”

  She brought him up to speed on the events of the last twenty-four hours. As might be expected, he’d honed in on the behavior of the Lormarcs.

  “They’re too worldly for my taste. Fancy offices, all those electronics. They’ve lost sight of their roots.”

  “How long has it been since you’ve been Cityside?”

  “Not long enough. New Orleans—all of the human cities—are much too loud, too crowded and impersonal.”

  Or they’re exciting and vibrant, Kam thought. Especially New Orleans with its dark underbelly of mysticism and the earthy beat of its Creole music. Not to mention the incredible food. She smiled to herself, surprised at how quickly her thoughts had jumped to the city’s defense. She was becoming more citified than she’d realized.

  “I believe competitive commerce with the cities allows us to enjoy the life we have,” she said.

  “So you approve of what the Lormarcs have done?” His voice held a note of disapproval.

  “I don’t approve of anything about the Lormarcs, but they’ve made smart changes. Our guild needs to keep up.”

  The look he gave her was doubtful, even troubled. “I’m glad I don’t have to deal with any of it.”

  Kam changed the direction of the conversation. “Have you identified the two wanderers? I thought maybe their friends or relatives would have come forward by now with some explanation, or at least to report they were missing.”

  He shook his head. “We have a few names of missing elves. Day laborers mostly, but no one that fits your descriptions. These are all young men, who work on the farms or in the mines.”

  “That’s odd. Maybe they moved on for winter work.”

  “I thought so at first, but four of them had families, wives and children.” He frowned. “I have to admit I’m worried. We’re overlooking something.”

  “More like everything.” Kam’s voice was dry. “In fact, we don’t have a clue what has happened, and I can’t see that we’re getting any closer to the answers.”

  * * *

  By the time she returned to New Orleans and made her way to the guild office, Thom Barrott had already called around to security firms and gotten quotes.

  “I had a message from your father that you’d agreed to be the overseer, and that he’d approved the increased security.” The guild master’s eyes twinkled. “He’s always wanted to keep this an inner family business. Seems to me you’ve taken a big step in that direction.”

  “Only temporary. But I have to admit the trade business is more interesting than I thought.” She studied the notes he’d given her. “This Crescent Security firm looks good.”

  “My choice too.”

  “Then call them. Let’s get everything set up as quickly as we can. I’m going to look for downtown office space. Nothing as elaborate as the Lormarc building, but I think it would be good for us to have a professional buyers’ office away from the docks. With maybe a display room for our finest goods.”

  “Excellent. I have waited a long time for the younger generation to pay some attention to us.” He looked like he wanted to hug her, and Kam braced herself. But Barrott remembered himself in time. “I…uh, well…I’m most pleased.”

  She was still smiling when she left the guild a little later, already thinking ahead to just what kind of office space would best suit their needs. The French Quarter maybe. Out-of-town buyers would love that. But many of the surrounding areas would be almost as good. She stepped out briskly, eager to get started, so caught up in plans she almost missed the man who darted into the shadows near the small warehouse next door.

  Kam ran toward him, cursing the skirt she’d worn to see her father. She’d seen enough to know it was the same man who’d had the binoculars the day before.

  According to her earlier discussions with Barrott, the adjacent warehouse, a colorful green contrast to the Ryndel’s silver sides, had stood empty for almost a year, only occasionally used for small shipments by its unknown owners. When she arrived at the front entrance, no one was there, but she tried the door and discovered it unlocked. She glanced quickly over her shoulder, then eased the door open and slipped inside.

  A few crates, boxes, and round containers were stacked on one side, but otherwise the one story warehouse was empty. She crossed its length quickly and tried the door next to the rear loading dock. Also unlocked. She stepped outside and looked around. Her quarry was nowhere in sight, and a quick check down each side of the building yielded nothing. She walked around the perimeter anyway and made a mental note to discover the name of the owner. The man she’d seen had been familiar enough with the warehouse to use it as an escape route.

  Kam returned to the front door and examined it closely. No pry marks. Did he have a key? She went back inside to take another look around. Not anxious to get caught snooping, she glanced frequently at both exits.

  She frowned at the multiple scuff marks in the dust on the floor. Her stalker hadn’t been the only one in here recently. Most of the prints were near the loading dock at the back. No one had been near the stacked boxes in quite some time, but she examined the containers anyway. No markings or labels, nothing to tell her what was inside, who the shipper was, or where the cargo was going. Odd. There should be something, especially if the goods had come in by ship or other commercial transport.

  It might be private storage. She suddenly straightened. Or the cargo had been transported by portal. Could one of the smaller guilds be using this building? Or even the Lormarcs? She ran a hand over the surface of a container, tempted to open it, but that would be going too far just to satisfy her curiosity. It could be considered vandalism, and she hated to risk police involvement for such a flimsy excuse. She walked away, flipped the lock, and closed the door behind her.

  Fifteen minutes later, she was back at her office desk. One call to City Hall gave her the name of the green warehouse’s owner as LEID Inc. in San Francisco, but a subsequent call to their head offices got her an unexpected answer.

  “We don’t own property in New Orleans, Ms. Ryndel, and certainly not a warehouse. We are a local heating and air conditioning service company. I’m afraid someone made a mistake.”

  Kam hung up and leaned back in her chair. The clerk at City Hall had been very clear about what the records told her. At Kam’s request, sh
e’d even checked for other local properties owned by the same corporation. The clerk had found none, which led to Kam’s call to California. She tapped her fingernails on the desk top. This wasn’t a mistake. The documentation on file had been falsified.

  What did that mean for her and the Ryndel Guild? Maybe nothing. The man she’d seen wasn’t an elf, and as far as she knew, he’d done nothing but look. She couldn’t even say he was connected to this property, except he’d run through the building. At worst a simple trespass.

  Still unsatisfied, Kam shifted in her chair. If she had to bet on it, she’d say Seth Lormarc knew something about the stalker. She sat forward and began to tap on the keyboard, expanding her computer search. A link between Lormarc and LEID Inc. would give her an excuse to put some pressure on him. She wouldn’t mind another chance to question him. And get back her shoe.

  An hour later, she shoved the keyboard away. The search was a waste of time. If there was a connection, her limited computer skills weren’t going to find it.

  * * *

  That weekend, after numerous visits to the homeless haunts in the city, Kam picked up some astounding rumors about a phantom bringer of death…and a voodoo curse.

  While police continued to talk about a serial killer preying on the homeless, the locals had other ideas. As the story went, a voodoo queen, insulted by a homeless man, had placed a curse on the shelters and sent Death to visit its residents. This version spread quickly, fueled by two deaths that were perfectly normal for this vulnerable population. However, it drove shelter inhabitants into the streets, overcrowding the meager spaces on the wharfs, under the expressways, and in abandoned buildings. More people were vulnerable than ever before, but without the head counts from the shelters, it was nearly impossible to determine if disappearances were continuing.