I suddenly felt the rope loosen on my left wrist.
“Time to let you roam free, my little slave,” she whispered in my ear.
It took a minute for me to wrench my hand free, but by that time, Calisto was gone.
With my free hand I removed the cloth bound over my eyes.
Nailed to the wall, in front of the bed, was a poster-sized picture. It was a photo of Aria and I, sitting on the swing at Isadora’s island the night of the wedding massacre.
Our lips were locked together in a farewell kiss, one which stated that we’d never be together, so long as there was Shadow.
Scrawled on the glossy picture, in red marker, were two simple words that ripped through me like a bullet.
Shadow knows.
Chapter Eight
Shadow
“Let me do all the talking,” Beau said. “Trust me, Braydon’s my brother. I know exactly how to deal with him.”
I suppose I didn’t have any choice in the matter. Beau and Braydon were blood after all.
“Fine, I’ll let you take the lead on this one,” I said. “You probably have a better chance striking up a deal with him than I would.”
“Great. I have a good feeling about this.” Beau placed one hand on the wooden door of the old brick building, an eloquent sign saying “Whiskey’s” displayed above the entrance. “You ready to go in?” he asked.
“Are we meeting your brother in a bar?”
Beau shook his head. “Not exactly.”
I noticed all the windows in the building were boarded up. The red flags in my head were at full mast. “What is this place?” I demanded to know.
The bastard grinned at me with a look screaming he was up to no good. “It’s a gentlemen’s establishment.”
“A strip club?”
“A brothel.”
I was really starting to question the mindsets of all the members of the new Midnight Society.
“Discussing these details of a secret operation in a brothel of all places isn’t the secluded environment I envisioned,” I stated.
“Well, when I set up our rendezvous, this was where Braydon wanted to meet.” Beau said. “I figure best let him arrange the time and place, just so he’d feel more at ease. I suppose he wanted to get a load off before our sit down. Heck, now that I think of it, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea to release all the built up tension we’ve been suppressing. What do you say boss? Figure you can spot me enough for a quickie? You rushed me out the door this morning and I forgot my wallet.”
Lord, give me strength, I thought to myself.
Beau must have seen the look of frustration on my face.
“Forget it. Maybe next time,” Beau muttered as he pushed open the door and entered the brothel. I followed behind.
The interior was a luxurious looking establishment catered towards high class clientele. The furniture and décor were authentic Venetian imports that didn’t come cheap. The crystal chandelier that hung over our heads alone was worth at least twenty thousand.
I was impressed. If I had judged the brothel by its exterior, I would have expected a whorehouse that was more on the grungy side.
“Now remember, I’ll do all the talking. You just sit back and look pretty,” he said.
An attractive, mature woman with chestnut brown hair greeted us. She was full of smiles and her eyes sparkled while speaking to us with a slight Columbian accent.
“Hello gentlemen. You two aren’t the type of customers we usually expect in our establishment,” she said as she tossed her long hair over her shoulders. “You’re both so handsome.”
Beau flashed a devilish grin. “Handsome boys need love too.”
The madam directed her eyes towards me. “I’m almost convinced the girls would pay you for a good time.”
“You’re all sugar and spice,” Beau said. “But sadly we’re here about business, rather than pleasure.”
Immediately her face soured. “Fuck, you’re not cops are you?”
Beau laughed. “I assure you, we’re both seedy fucks. We are not cops.”
“You’re here to collect then? I just made a payment less than two weeks ago. You’re seriously killing my business.”
Beau thought about it for a moment. “Refresh my memory, sweetheart. How much did my colleagues collect last time?”
I could tell that the gears were spinning inside Beau’s head as he saw the opportunity for a pay day.
“You stole two grand from us, plus two blowjobs.”
Beau nodded. “Yes, we’re here to collect; two grand and four blowjobs. Our rates just went up.”
“We’re here looking for someone,” I said, steering the conversation back to where it needed to be.
Beau looked dejected. I had just screwed him out of some spending money and the opportunity to have his knob polished.
“Braydon,” Beau said miserably. “I believe he’s here right now?”
The madam looked relieved “Braydon’s here,” she confirmed. “He’s with a client right now.”
“Which room?” Beau asked.
She raised a brow. “His session should be done in ten minutes. You can have a seat,” she said gesturing towards a finely crafted leather couch. “If you want, I can bring in some of our girls for some company while you wait.”
Beau shook his head. “As much as I’d like to, the boss is running a tight ship. Point me to where Braydon is.”
“We ensure all our clients a private and quality experience at our establishment; emphasis on the word ‘private.’ As I said before, it should only—what the fuck are you doing?”
Beau had ventured towards the back rooms where I assumed all ‘business’ was being done. He kicked opened one of the doors.
“Empty,” he said.
“Please, don’t do that,” the madam cried.
Beau walked to the next room and kicked it open. Inside, a woman shrieked and a man called out “What is going on here?”
“Sorry bud, wrong address.” He took a closer peek inside and then pointed. “You might want to get that checked out by the way. It doesn’t look too healthy.”
He walked towards a third door.
“You’re ruining my business,” the madam shouted.
Beau kicked open the door, looked in, and then smiled. “Hello, you bastard.”
I made my way to him.
Sitting on a leather chair was a monster of man, larger than even Cairo in size.
Braydon had long, onyx hair that dropped to his shoulders and a well-kept beard to match. His sapphire eyes were reminiscent of his father’s and he had the physique of a Viking king; most noticeably his arms that were the size of diesel trucks.
He growled at the sight of us while his bare cock was pressed against the face of one of the working girls.
“You mind?” Braydon asked. “I’m in the middle of something.”
Beau smiled. “You’ll be done in twenty seconds anyways. I heard you don’t last very long.”
“Eat my dick,” Braydon seethed as he rose from the leather chair, pushing the naked brunette aside. She quickly grabbed her clothes and bolted out of the room, leaving Beau and I alone to deal with the Braydon, the naked barbarian.
I did my best to look him in the eye, despite the fact his other head was pointing in our directions.
This was awkward.
“No thanks,” Beau replied. “I’ll try everything at least once, except incest.”
Just from first impressions, I could tell Braydon was a hot-tempered man and Beau knew exactly how to push his buttons. I should have never agreed to let him run point on this meeting.
“Beau, let’s give your brother a couple of minutes and then we can have this discussion outside, like decently clothed human beings,” I said.
Beau shot me a scathing look. “That wasn’t the plan. You were going to let me handle this.”
“Not anymore.”
“Too bad,” Beau replied as he walked right up to Braydon and got in his face.<
br />
“You’re in my space, little brother,” Braydon said. “I don’t like breathing the same air as you.”
And that was when Beau caught Braydon off guard with a right hook to the jaw.
“Beau, what the fuck?!” I cried.
“Don’t worry,” Beau replied as he raised his fists, ready to strike again. “He’s Canadian. Timid as a pussy cat, isn’t that right you maple syrup loving motherfucker.”
This was turning out to be a complete disaster. All hopes of rescuing Lincoln were dissipating before my very eyes.
For a split second though, I couldn’t help but think, ‘Good. Lincoln’s an untrustworthy asshole. Let him rot.’
I quickly shrugged off the thought of allowing my “friend” to continually suffer at the hands of Calisto. My sister was the enemy and I needed Lincoln’s help to get to her.
To do that, I needed to convince Braydon to help us.
“Beau, stand down,” I ordered.
Beau shoved a middle finger right into Braydon’s face, before giving him a thunderous slap that echoed throughout the room.
“I did the same thing to your woman,” Beau spat. “She enjoyed it.”
This wasn’t going to end well.
Braydon unleashed an animalistic howl and with the ferocity of a mountain lion, he tackled Beau. I watched as Braydon drove his brother through the drywall, spilling out into the hallway on the other side.
My first thought was that Beau was now surely dead or crippled.
“Oh my god,” the madam cried as she stared at the two men lying on the ground, chunks of drywall blanketing their bodies.
Braydon rose first, specs of white dust from the drywall, crumbling off his back, like a titan rising from a snow crested field.
“Disrespectful shit,” he said as he looked down at his brother with disdain.
I was surprised to see Beau even move.
“Fughh…” he moaned as he shifted to his side, dropping his palms to the ground for support. He spat out flakes of white dust from his mouth.
“That all you got?” Beau asked as he awkwardly rose to his feet.
Braydon laughed. “You always were a stubborn shit. You never knew when to back off.”
“As long as I’m still breathing, my engine will keep running,” Beau said. “Now, come on.” He raised his fist.
“Please, no violence in my establishment,” the madam begged. “What the hell do I pay my protection fee for? Those assholes are never here when shit hits the fan.”
I repeated my order. “Beau, enough. This fight is over.”
“The fuck it is,” Beau said as he stared Braydon down. “As long as I still have all my teeth, we’re only in the first round.”
I grimaced as I watched Beau lunge at the man with a clumsy fist. Braydon dodged it easily and then slammed his brother with a bony elbow down the base of his spine, causing him to collapse onto the ground in a heap.
“You’re lucky I eased off that one,” Braydon said. “Otherwise your spine would be fractured in three places.”
Beau shook his head.
“Enough Beau,” I reiterated.
He shook his head. “Just warming up.”
Beau was slower to rise this time. He was wobbling, like his knees were made out of jelly. He pointed a finger at his brother.
“Come on, shit head. I know you’ve been dreaming about this, ever since I slept with your girl.”
Braydon looked at Beau, surprised.
“Only an idiot fails to see when he’s beat,” Braydon said as he hammered his brother in the gut. Beau crumpled to the ground in a heap.
This time he stayed down.
It was time I stepped in.
“Braydon, enough,” I said. “I don’t think you’re in the business of murdering your own kin. It’s bad karma.”
“This is a family matter,” Braydon said, looking down on the body of his brother. “You have no idea what shit he’s pulled.”
“He slept with your woman. I know.”
“You know how it feels, to have your own brother betray you like that?”
I thought about Lincoln, who once I thought of as a brother as well. I wondered if I was going to have the same reaction when I came face-to-face with him again.
“My sister, my own twin, murdered my parents and then my closest friends. What Beau did is nothing in comparison. You can stand there and cry about the past all you want but here’s the fact. You took your shot at Beau already, three times by my count. He’s down and out. Now, if you’re done, there’s money to be made and plenty of it.”
Braydon looked at me suspiciously while I grabbed his pants from off the ground and tossed them at him.
“You have two choices now. Put your pants on and let’s walk out of here and have a civilized conversation, otherwise the next fist you throw at Beau will have to come through me first,” I said as I took a step closer and looked him in the eye. I was hoping to intimidate him.
It was awkward though, trying to stare Braydon down while giving myself enough space to ensure his bare penis didn’t come in contact with me in any way, shape, or form.
Braydon didn’t blink as he locked into my eyes.
Finally, after what seemed like the world’s longest stare down, Braydon spoke. “You look uncomfortable.”
“It’s because you’re naked.”
Braydon nodded. “I don’t blame you. I get antsy looking at another man’s pecker myself. I suppose I’ll put on my pants then.”
“You do that.”
What a relief.
I walked over to Beau, who was just regaining consciousness. “I have him,” he said as he slowly rolled over and lay on his back. “I fucking have him.”
“It’s over Beau,” I said. “You lost.”
He looked at me in a daze. “I did?”
“Yes.”
There was a brief pause.
“Well, fuck,” he finally said. “If you’ll excuse me then, I’m just going to lie here for a minute or two. If I suddenly stop breathing, I hope you don’t have anything against putting your lips against another man’s mouth.”
I grinned. “I’m sure there’s someone in this brothel, female perhaps, that can grant you that kindness.”
Beau nodded. “Perfect.”
Braydon and I sat outside on a wooden picnic table by the parking lot. I had left Beau inside, to be attended by the girls, after paying them a generous sum, which included any damages to the place.
Braydon fired up a cigarette and offered me one.
“No thanks,” I said, “Never got into the habit.”
“Good on you. It’s a filthy one anyway.”
Now that he was fully clothed in his old faded jeans and leather motorcycle vest, we could begin talking business.
“I hear you’re good at extraction,” I said.
“The best,” Braydon replied without blinking. “There’s no one that I can’t break out.”
“That’s what Beau said. However, I’m a little skeptical of taking his words at face value.”
“I don’t blame you. Beau is a sneaky little shit.”
“He saved your life, didn’t he?”
Silence.
Braydon took a deep drag of his cigarette. “That he did,” he finally said. “I guess in the end, you can always rely on family.”
I couldn’t.
“Funny, back in the brothel, I was convinced you were going to murder him,” I pointed out.
He shrugged. “We were just roughhousing, that’s all.”
“I think you broke his ribs.”
“He’s a big boy. Broken ribs are a superficial wound anyways. They’re quick to heal.”
He had a point there. “Has Beau given you an idea of what needs to be done?”
Braydon nodded as he dropped the cigarette to the ground and put it out with the tip of his steel-toed boot. “I heard bits and pieces of it. It doesn’t sound easy. At the site of extraction there’ll be maximum security and armed guar
ds. With the location being at an airport as well, there’s going to be additional airspace monitoring.”
“Is the extraction situated at the airport going to pose a huge problem?” I asked.
“I could come in with a chopper firing bullets at 625 rpm from a turret for distraction. We get one of your guys to bungee down there and pull your man out via parachord. We then fly off into the sunset.”
“It doesn’t sound very stealth to me.”
Braydon laughed. “Look at me. I’m a seven foot goliath who drives a Harley. The only way I know how to do things is loud.”
“My sister is temperamental. At the first sign of trouble who knows what she’ll do? My guess is she’ll execute our man right away, just because she can.”
Braydon rubbed his chin. “Stealth it is then. Can you get me a layout of the airport?”
“My source tells me it’ll be at a military site, so finding a detailed layout might be difficult. They don’t keep any electronic files, only physical ones up at the Pentagon.”
“I guess we’re going in blind then.”
I grinned.
“What?” he asked.
“I got a few tricks up my sleeve as well. I’ve got someone working to knock out the grid supplying the airbase.”
“That’ll certainly help with stealth.”
“It will,” I agreed.
Braydon ran his hands through his thick, black hair and then rose from the bench. “Well Shadow, I guess I’ll sign myself up for this little suicide mission of yours. It sounds like it’ll be too much fun to miss out on. Did Beau give you details of my account, and where to transfer the money?”
“Yes. You get half now,” I said.
“That was the agreement,” Braydon confirmed. “Meanwhile, get me the name of that military airbase. I’ll do some recon on my own time as well as survey the layout of the land. I’ll give you the details of the plan the night before extraction day.”
“That’s tomorrow,” I pointed out.
Braydon smiled, as if taking enjoyment out of this entire thing. “Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Is one day enough time for you to recon?”
Braydon walked over to his bike and put his helmet on. “We’ll have to see, won’t we? If we end up lying in a ditch by the side of the road, chances are I probably needed more time.”
Revenant: The Midnight Society Book Three Page 6