Red Dawn

by Bonds, J. J.

  “This job, it was the kind that can’t be botched. The kind that makes you a legend.” He laughs. “Whatever it was, I guess he pulled it off if you’re here. What’d he do to you, steal your prom date?”

  I punch him again, this time in the stomach. He hunches over, gripping his midsection. Violence seems to be the only thing he understands.

  “There’s nothing funny about this situation. A lot of vamps will die,” I tell him angrily. “How do we contact this guy?”

  “How should I know? Do I look like a bloody secretary?”

  “Wrong answer.”

  “Okay, okay,” he relents, looking beat down. “Try the bar at Alibis. It’s over in the Quarter. Ask for Blondie.”

  “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  Nik’s the first to speak when we leave the brothel. “That was a very convincing performance. For a minute there I really thought you might kill him.”

  “Silly vampire,” I tell him smiling wryly. Nik’s got a lot to learn if he really intends to join the Linkuri. Did I want to kill Ryder? No. But would I have done it if it came to that? Hell, yeah. I live every day with the death of innocent humans on my conscience. I’m not sure I would have lost any sleep over a sleazy vamp criminal like Ryder. At least I’d know he had it coming. “I would have done it. I’ll do whatever it takes to help Shaye.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Alibis looks like every other bar in the Quarter: beautifully designed with French influences and open balconies showcasing inebriated patrons. And why not? It’s only three in the morning. The night is young and the moon is full. Unlike some of the dives we hit earlier this evening, Alibis is three whole floors of Mardi Gras fun.

  “More levels, more bars,” I comment as we approach the stoic bouncer guarding the door. He’s big, beefy and dressed all in black. He’s also sweating like a pig in the humid early morning air. I crinkle my nose in disgust as he swats a mosquito with one of his meaty hands. Fortunately, he doesn’t look too bright. He should be easy to influence.

  “We’ll split up,” Keegan decides. “I’ll take the first floor. Nik, you’ve got the second.”

  “Which leaves lucky number three for me,” I say, handing my ID to the stooge at the door.

  Nik uses compulsion on the bouncer to get us in. Nik and Keegan have ID’s showing they’re of legal age, but my license shows a teenage girl. The bouncer barely looks at it as Nik persuades him that the piece of flimsy plastic belongs to a twenty-one year old.

  We split up as soon as we’re inside. The bar is all dark wood and mirrors. Strobe lights have been positioned around the room to illuminate the place. The harsh lights bounce off the mirrors nearly blinding me. I hate strobe lights. They belong in a haunted house, not a bar. The beer posters lining the back wall seem far more fitting for this place.

  I spot the stairs at the rear of the building and head straight for them, shoving my way through the crowd unapologetically. I want to get this over with and get the hell out of here. It’s a little less packed on the third floor, but no less oppressive. The place is loud, crowded, and dirty. Def Leppard’s ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’ blasts from the speakers. The floors are coated with spilled drinks and my boots stick to the wooden floor with each step. Gross. The cloying stink of body odor, perfume, and pheromones fill the air. Double gross.

  I elbow my way up to the bar and wave a hand to get the bartender’s attention. Like the guy out front, he’s built. He wears black leather pants and a fitted black tee. His blonde hair is slicked back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck and as he approaches, I notice a spark of intelligence in his eyes.

  “What’ll you have?” He barely makes eye contact in his haste. I watch as he pulls a towel from his back pocket and starts wiping up a puddle of what smells like beer from the heavily shellacked bar.

  “I’m looking for Blondie.” Must have been the magic word, because he drops his towel and looks at me for the first time.

  “What a waste,” he responds, giving me a lascivious grin. “Pretty little thing like you playing for the other team.”

  He makes his way down the bar, flashing his seductive smile at the female customers. He stops several times along the way to take orders and pass out drinks. I notice he only waits on the women, probably to maximize tips. I guess that explains the male-female bartending team. When he reaches the end of the bar, he whispers something to the thin, platinum blonde who’s clearing the empties. She glances my way, dumps the glasses in the sink and saunters over.

  Up close, I can see that she’s not as young as she used to be. Her face is tarnished with the telltale signs of hard living. I guess she’s in her mid-thirties and unmarried if her ring finger is any indication. It’s probably why she’s working in this bar and moonlighting as a point man for a nameless, faceless mercenary.

  “I don’t know you,” she says, leaning in close and placing her palms down on the bar. There’s a slight edge to her voice. I imagine she’s wary of strangers. Can’t say I blame her. “Do I?”

  “No. And I plan to keep it that way.”

  “So it’s gonna be like that, Sugar?” She looks me over, sizing me up. I doubt her usual clientele is so young. “Alright. I’ll bite. What can I do for you?”

  This place is loud. The blaring music makes intelligent conversation damn near impossible. That may be a benefit to the rest of the clientele, but it’s a pain in the ass for me. Even with my heightened senses, I’ve got to focus to hear the sultry bartender’s words. I figure if she’s not worried about confidentiality, I don’t need to be either. It takes a lot of effort to hold an actual conversation, and everyone in earshot seems to be focused on scoring a deeper level of drunken stupidity or a warm body to curl up with tonight. Besides, I’ll be gone tomorrow. But how to play it? I need to get to the The Shadow and she’s my only link.

  “I’m looking to make a connection.”

  “Sugar, I’m flattered, but you’re a little young for me and frankly, I don’t do well with commitment.” She gives me a coy smile and tosses her shiny hair. “Now, I’m fixin to go make some money, but you take a look around. Pretty face like yours, you can have your pick of the place.”

  Blondie turns to go, but I can’t allow it. I reach out and grab her arm with lightning speed. She turns and faces me with a look of surprise etched on her face. She blinks vacantly and I decide it’s time to turn up the intensity. I tighten my grip on her arm and narrow my eyes. My stomach growls, reminding me that I need to feed soon. Not really a good time to succumb to hunger. Blondie’s pulse increases. I can feel her heart beating with fear under the flesh of her wrist and I find my gaze lingering on her neck a little too long.

  “I don’t have time for games,” I tell her in clipped words. “Like I said, I’m looking to make a connection and I’m told you’re the gatekeeper.”

  I give her my most determined look and when our eyes lock, I know she can sense that I’m not like her other customers. There’s a glimmer of fear in her eyes as they dart around the room, seeking help. Before she can cry out, I use my free hand to pull a crumpled hundred dollar bill from my back pocket. I slap the bill down on the bar.

  “Now, I’m going to leave my number and you’re going to have The Shadow call me,” I instruct her. “I have a job for him and it’s time sensitive. He calls me within 24 hours or I move on to his competition. Got it?”

  “What’s the job?” she asks. She looks intrigued now. Her fear has subsided. Greed has that effect.

  “It’s confidential. I’m sure you understand.” I release her arm and reach behind the bar to grab a cocktail napkin. Blondie gives me a pen from her apron and I jot my number down on the red scrap of paper. “Tell him it’s worth $250k.”

  I meet up with Nik and Keegan back on the first floor of the bar. I let them know that I made contact and happily relay the details of my conversation with Blondie. Keegan’s worried The Shadow won’t call. Nik and I remind him that there isn’t much else we can do. At this point, it’s
a waiting game. So we wait.

  “Let’s find a room and crash,” I suggest, collapsing in the back of the car and stretching my legs. “I’m famished.”

  “Finding accommodations may prove difficult,” Keegan warns as he pulls out his cell. “The city is full to bursting with Mardi Gras.”

  “I’m not feeling picky,” I assure him. With any luck, we won’t be here long. “Anything will do. Can you also track down some liquid refreshments?”

  “Give me a few minutes,” he says, checking his watch. “It’s late, but I’ll make some calls.”

  **********

  “We really have to work on your standards, Katia.” Nik gives a low whistle and kicks an empty beer can across the parking lot. I don’t bother watching to see where it lands. It could be on the next block by now. “This place is a real shit hole.”

  I shrug. I could care less as long as there aren’t any roaches. That’s where I draw the line. We wait anxiously as Keegan checks in with the motel’s manager. There are only a couple of hours left until sunrise and yet I can still hear the raucous sounds of life down the block. Not that it matters much. I can sleep through anything. My mom always said I slept like the dead.

  We grab our bags as Keegan returns waving a room key. The three of us trek up the rickety stairs in search of room 25. It lives down to our expectations with peeling paint, blue shag carpet, and a picture of the Madonna over the beds.

  “For the record, I don’t think the ‘no tell motel’ is quite what Katia had in mind when she said ‘anything’,” Nik points out. Keegan give him a dirty look, but he’s unfazed. “Did they at least give us the hourly rate?”

  “It’s fine,” I counter. It looks clean enough, but I don’t want to think too hard about what this room might’ve been used for in the past. “Blood?”

  Keegan hands me a paper bag and I pull out a white quart size container. There are two more in the bag. Keegan’s managed to get one for each of us.

  “You must be on good terms with the butcher to get him out of bed at this hour.” I take a long pull from the plastic tub and change my mind. The blood isn’t exactly fresh. “On second thought….”

  “Sorry, it’s the best I can do for now.”

  “Whatever,” I respond, handing both Nik and Keegan a tub from the bag. I can’t help but notice the room only has two beds. Nik catches me staring. He looks amused.

  “I can sleep on the floor?” he offers.

  “No it’s fine. We can share,” I say, trying to sound like it’s not a big deal. “It’s just one night after all.”

  “Have it your way,” he says, shrugging. “But you’d better keep your hands to yourself.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  I sleep late into the morning. When I finally get up, Nik and Keegan are already showered and dressed. Much to my delight, one of them has also gone out for blood and it’s actually fresh this time! I take my time getting dressed and sip the blood slowly. We have several hours to kill before The Shadow’s deadline expires. I can’t stand being cooped up in the tiny room. Unease sets in and once again I find myself pacing obsessively.

  “You’re going to wear a hole in the carpet if you keep it up,” Nik teases, flipping through the channels on the TV. He should talk. He’s been at it for nearly half an hour trying to find something decent to watch. Daytime television leaves a lot to be desired. Keegan sits hunched over the small dinette table reading a newspaper. He’s barely said two words since I got up.

  Just when I think I’m going to completely lose my mind, Keegan speaks, giving a voice to the doubts that have been rattling around in my head all afternoon.

  “What if this isn’t our guy? Do we have any other leads?”

  I’m not sure what to say. I don’t want to feed into Keegan’s anxiety. I’m also worried that we’re wasting our time, but I don’t know what else to do. We’re kinda running out of options.

  “Hang in there,” Nik advises. Easier said than done, I think, toying with a loose strand of hair. “Remember, Ryder thought this guy might’ve taken the job. Shifters are pretty rare, so the odds are in our favor. We just need to be patient.”

  “Yeah, but what if this lead doesn’t pan out?” I challenge him. “Then what?”

  “Then we think of something else.” Nik rubs the back of his neck and it occurs to me that the wait is wearing on him too. He’s just better at concealing his frustration. I give him a sad smile. He’s taking a big risk being here with us. Shaye’s not really his friend and he didn’t have to do this. He’s doing it for me. I wonder if he’s really thought it through. His future with the Linkuri could be on the line if we get caught. Being as how the Linkuri are fundamentally a disciplined group, I sort of doubt they’d be impressed with Nik getting kicked out of school, despite his otherwise exemplary record.

  “Think of something else?” Keegan asks. “What else is there?”

  “We look for Philips,” Nik counters, sounding far too confident. After all, if the freaking Linkuri can’t find him, how could we?

  “Shaye’s running out of time,” Keegan says, echoing my thoughts.

  “Why don’t you give her a call and see how she’s doing today?” I suggest. His time would be better spent talking to her than worrying about things we can’t control. We’re doing our best here, but the reality is that we are probably way out of our league.

  I settle in by the window. From my vantage point I can see partygoers wandering up and down the cracked sidewalks in all vestiges of party gear. Beads, masks, hats, open containers. What a joke. These humans squander their time and their brain cells while the world around them is saturated with real problems. It makes me so angry I can hardly stand it. Maybe because I was like them once.

  “I know that look.” Nik stands beside me, following my gaze down to the street. “Judging, are we?”

  “What’s it to you?” I ask, red faced. I shouldn’t care what he thinks, but I do. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that he doesn’t approve.

  “Cut them some slack,” he says, resting a hand on my shoulder. “They need a release, a way to escape reality, a way to have a little fun. Instead of judging them, maybe you should try it some time.”

  “I’ll tell you what, I’ll celebrate when I know Shaye has the cure.”

  “I’ll consider that a promise and I’m going to hold you to it,” he assures me as a devilish grin spreads across his face.

  “I hope like hell you do,” I tell him as my phone starts to ring.

  I check the time. Eleven o’clock. The caller ID flashes unknown. This is it. My stomach leaps into my throat and I look at Nik for reassurance as Keegan rushes to my side.

  “At least he didn’t wait until the last minute,” I say evenly. “That’s a good sign, right?”

  “Go ahead,” Keegan instructs as I slide my finger across the glass screen. I bring the phone up to my ear, not bothering with the speaker function.

  “I was starting to think you weren’t interested,” I tell the unknown caller.

  “Ah, well, I’m a busy guy and I don’t like being jerked around.” His voice is smooth, his tone arrogant. He sounds cultured, well-polished. “However, your proposal intrigues me. After all, it’s not every day a young girl like you has the need of services such as mine. Or the funds to contract them.”

  “Fair enough. But make no mistake,” I tell him forcefully. “I am quite serious about this job. If you’re not, then you’re wasting my time.”

  “Youth! Arrogant and impatient,” he returns, going on the offensive. The playful edge is gone. He’s all business now. “What’s the job?”

  Nik and Keegan both shake their heads ‘no’ and I understand that I have to secure a face-to-face meeting if we are to have any hope of getting what we want.

  “I can’t discuss it over the phone,” I tell him. “I’m sure you understand the need for discretion and precautionary measures in your line of work.”

  “Of course,” he replies. “That is precisely why I d
o not make a habit of meeting with strangers I know nothing about. It’s not in the best interest of my personal wellbeing.”

  “I can appreciate a sense of self-preservation.” Best to just play along and see what he’s got in mind. “What do you suggest?”

  “There’s a ball at Boudreaux’s. I’ll leave your name with the doorman. Check in as Jane Smith. You won’t need ID. Be there at 1am sharp. Come alone.”

  “Seriously? Another bar?” What is it with this guy and bars? There has to be a better place to do business in this city.

  The line goes dead.

  “Yeah, nice talking to you too,” I mutter as the call ended message pops up on my phone. “Did you get all that?” I ask, directing my question to Keegan. He nods.

  “This guy’s smart,” Nik comments. “Crowded bar, costumes, anonymity. We should follow his lead.”

  I arch my eyebrows and give him my best ‘no way in hell’ look, but I’m outnumbered. Keegan agrees that keeping my identity protected is the way to go.

  “This meeting is dangerous enough without tipping our hand,” he points out. “The last thing we want is for him to recognize you.”

  “As if my face is plastered on the cover of Vampire Today at every newsstand in the country?” I ask with a tight smile. The odds of him recognizing me as Aldo’s great niece are slim unless he’s pretty deep into the vamp world.

  “I could do without the attitude,” Nik replies lightly. “What about you Keegan?”

  “I guess that settles it then.” I resign myself to the costume and swear to myself that this is the last time I’m getting dressed up like this- ever. “Let’s go shopping.”

  “At this hour?” Nik questions.

  “He’s right.” Keegan locks his hands behind his head thoughtfully. “We may have to improvise.”

  **********

  Twenty minutes later Keegan is handing me a bright ball of red fabric complete with matching red stilettos. He hands Nik a wad of shiny silver clothing which he looks less than thrilled to be receiving.