by Cat Adams
“Sounds like a plan.” He sounded weary. “I love you, Celie.”
“I love you too. See you tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow,” he agreed.
I slept like a dead thing and, thankfully, Minnie didn’t get me up at the crack of dawn. Of course, she might have tried and I might just have slept through it. I was really tired—tired enough that I didn’t dream at all.
It was hard to drag my butt out of bed to get ready, but I did it, feeding the cat and calling to get my messages and check on Isaac before having breakfast. Bruno had called. My stuff was ready. He’d get it to me this morning.
I did an internal cheer as I headed into the bathroom to shower and get ready. I was getting my stuff back, clean and ready to use. Woot!
I was putting the finishing touches on my outfit when Dawna pulled up to my front gate and pressed the intercom button at nine o’clock sharp.
“I’ll be right out,” I announced and went to pull on my sneakers. I was wearing pale blue jeans and a white polo shirt. I’d left my best blazer in Rizzoli’s truck with a bunch of my weapons. It was annoying but unavoidable. I have a couple of different backup jackets, but none that I like as well. Still, since I didn’t have any business meetings planned for the day, I decided to go with a denim jacket that I’d had altered, adding loops for stakes and inside pockets that I used for spell disks and One-Shot brand holy water guns. The backup holster that fit in the small of my back wasn’t quite as comfy as my usual, but it was adequate, as were my third-best wrist sheaths. I slathered on some sunscreen, grabbed my floppy hat, and went out to face the world.
Dawna was waiting in das Humvee. Given everything that had happened in the last few days, I was glad to see that she’d brought the tank, even though I knew she’d done it because Chris insisted. I’m not short, but I had to use the little chrome step Chris had installed on the passenger side to climb into the cab. And even with the help, it was a challenge.
“Hi, Dawna.”
“Celia.” Dawna reached across the seat to give me a huge hug. “I’ve been so worried about you. Are you all right?” Her beautiful features were drawn and there were dark circles under her eyes. More telling, she wasn’t wearing a bit of makeup and was dressed in plain white T-shirt and jeans. We almost matched. Dawna doesn’t do casual, and she never goes out without makeup. It was so unlike her that I found myself staring.
“I’m fine,” I said, which was mostly the truth. Things weren’t great. But I’d definitely been through worse. “How are you?”
“Been better,” she admitted.
“What’s up?”
“I don’t even know where to start.” She checked her mirrors, then pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. “Your knives and ring are in the backseat. I ran into Bruno at Starbucks. He was going to bring them himself, but when he found out I was headed here he asked me to deliver them. He’s got a tight schedule this morning.”
“Damn. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to see him.”
“Don’t be. I’m not sure what’s up, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone that angry before. He scared me.”
I was shocked. Bruno has always liked Dawna. I couldn’t imagine him being mean to her for any reason. “What did he do?”
“Nothing. He was very quiet, very polite.” She shuddered. “It scared the shit out of me.”
“Oh.” I knew exactly what she meant. His uncle Sal could do the same thing—be utterly cordial and freaking terrifying at the same time. Still, I felt like I should defend him. “I think it really shook him up seeing what those guys did to me—and who knows what kinds of spells they put on my stuff?”
We stopped at a sign and she turned, giving me wide eyes. “I mean, I always knew he was a tough guy, and he comes from that family … but I never really felt it before.” She gave me a wide-eyed look. “You’re a brave woman.”
“You know he’s not usually like that,” I protested. “And you’d better believe that Chris can be that way if he needs to.”
She chewed lightly on one lip for a moment, then changed the subject. “Where am I taking you?”
“I need to rent another car. I left the last one at a diner in Furnace Creek.”
“I could drive you out to get it,” she offered.
“Nah.” I smiled at her. “Thanks, but we don’t have time. We need to be local in case all hell breaks loose.”
“Do you think it will?” she asked as she turned the corner and started down Oceanview.
“God, I hope not. But it’s better to be careful, just in case.”
She switched lanes, passing an old woman who was driving well below the speed limit. “That makes sense. And there really is a lot to do. First, before I forget, you need to sign some more checks. I used the last one for the lease on the safe house. Oh, and we may want to rethink the two signatures policy. When you’re out of reach, it would be really handy for me to be able to sign on my own. Anyway, payday is tomorrow, and Bubba, Kevin, and Talia will want their money. I need some, too—reimbursement for money I had to advance Kevin out of my personal account so they could set up at the safe house. You know, groceries, that sort of thing. And I’ve got to pay the premium for the insurance.
“I went with group health, life, and disability. It’s a special package that we qualify for. It’s a little pricey but definitely worth it—especially if you’re not going to stay enrolled at the university.”
Holy crap. We qualified as a group. I suddenly felt very grown up, very responsible, and utterly terrified. I fought down a wave of panic that rivaled anything I felt while facing down bad guys and gave Dawna what was probably a fairly sickly attempt at a smile. “Fine. Where’s the checkbook?”
“In the box with the knives.”
“How’s Michelle?”
“According to Kevin, now that they’re out in the middle of nowhere, it’s boring as hell. Just the way he likes it, he said. He is not at all sorry he missed out on the excitement at the hospital. He also suggested you might want to give Bubba a bonus, or at least cover his legal fees.”
“Legal fees?”
“Bubba hired an attorney to go with him when he gave his statement. Oh, and Kevin asked me to remind you that the full moon is coming up.”
“Full moon, check,” I said—and realized it was good to be reminded that no matter what I had to deal with as a result of whatever Connor Finn was planning, I still had to make provisions for Kevin’s needs as well. Then, “Cover the legal fees. They were a business-related expense.”
“Okay. By the way, Bubba wants to know what’s next. He said they can’t hide Michelle forever, and while he can use the money, eventually he’d like to get back to Mona and Sherry.”
“How’s Talia doing?”
“So far as I can tell, she’s doing pretty well. Nobody’s complaining, anyway.”
“Good.” I wasn’t sure how to say what I had to tell Dawna, so I just did it. “There’s more to this than just protecting Michelle, but I haven’t been able to unwind just what yet.” I didn’t want to tell her about the problems at the Needle. Whatever she’d heard on the news would be enough; any more and she’d really be scared.
“So if Bubba and Kevin are expecting detailed information, well, I don’t have it yet. I’m working on it, but—”
Dawna glanced away from the road long enough to roll her eyes at me. “And you don’t want to have to explain that to the guys. Fine. I’ll handle it.” I could hear the frustration in her voice and guessed that it wasn’t all due to having to take on more work than she’d expected.
“Dawna…” I started to ask specifically what was wrong, but she waved me to silence.
“I can’t talk about it. I just can’t. If I do, I’ll start crying, and I don’t want to do that. So don’t ask.”
“If you say so.”
“I do.”
“You know that if you need anything—” I said, but she interrupted me.
“I know. Emma said the same thing. But it’s
stuff I have to deal with by myself.” She smiled, and it had almost her usual level of warmth. “Maybe soon we can have some peace and quiet. I’d love to go to the spa again. I need some girl time.”
“Sounds like a plan. Make reservations for the three of us for next weekend.”
“You think this will be over by next weekend?”
“It’ll be over on the full moon. One way or another.”
Put that way, it sounded ominous. She turned her head, giving me a look. “Celie?”
“I’m fine. Really.” I was lying, and Dawna probably knew it, but there was no time to call me on it. We’d arrived at the car rental place. I jumped out of the vehicle—much easier than climbing up—then opened the back door to rummage through the box she’d stowed there. The checkbook was on top. I signed a bunch of checks. I trusted Dawna, and I had no idea how long we’d be in crisis mode. Better for her to have them on hand. That done, I stuck my siren ring back into place on my finger and slid the very special knives Bruno had made for me into the wrist sheaths. I had to suppress a shudder as I slid them home. The memory of how they’d last been used was horrible. I pulled my jacket back on a little hurriedly, wanting the knives out of sight.
“You have your phone?” Dawna asked, turning around in the seat so we could see each other’s faces.
“Yeah.”
“Well, keep it handy. I’ll be staying in touch now that I’ve got the number—especially if something goes wrong.”
“Right,” I agreed. “And Dawna…” I paused, trying to find the right words. I wanted to thank her. But more than that, I really wanted to just talk with her. I could tell there was something going on with her. As a friend, I knew I should ask what. But there was so damned much on my plate right now.
Her smile was a little bit sad. “It’s okay, Celia. I’ll be fine. I’ll make the reservations at the spa, we’ll have plenty of time to talk then. But if I’m not driving you to Furnace Creek, I need to get the Humvee back to Chris before he blows a gasket.”
She was right, of course. But that didn’t make me feel better about it. I hesitated.
“Go!” she ordered, making a shooing gesture.
“Fine, I’m going.” I waited a beat, then said, “Thank you for everything. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
She grinned, and while it didn’t have the wattage of her usual smile, it was still a real grin. “Believe me, I know.”
Smiling, I slammed the door and stepped aside so that she’d have plenty of room to maneuver her way out of the parking lot. I watched her until she was out of sight.
* * *
It didn’t take long to get a new rental—an SUV not unlike the last one, only in blue. Normally I’m more of a sports car kind of gal, but on the off chance I’d have to ferry people, I figured bigger was better. Like the previous vehicle, it was set up for a hands-free phone. Before I pulled out of the rental place’s lot, I called the hospital.
Isaac had been moved to a regular private room after his surgery. He was listed as being in stable condition. Stable was good—especially since it wasn’t “stable but critical.” Given the shape he’d been in when he was found, it was very good indeed. His age worked against him, but I knew he was tough. I believed he’d pull through.
The nurse told me that Gilda had fallen asleep in the chair beside Isaac’s bed and that Isaac was sedated, so I just asked her to leave word that I’d called and said I’d be in touch again later.
Then, before I could forget, I ordered flowers for him.
That done, I had the GPS do a search for Finn Billiards. In a matter of seconds I had directions.
Visiting Finn Senior hadn’t been a rousing success, but I’d learned a few things and set the authorities onto a few more. Maybe I’d have even better luck talking to his son, Jack.
Assuming I survived.
26
On a good day, with the wind up your tailpipe, the drive between Santa Maria de Luna and Los Angeles is just under two hours. This was not that day. Sitting, unmoving, in bumper-to-bumper traffic, I turned on the radio just long enough to hear that there’d been a huge wreck somewhere up the line. Ugh. At least I would have plenty of time to finally finish reading all the material Anna had sent me while I waited for things to start moving again. And maybe figure out my next steps.
Bubba was right. We couldn’t hide Michelle forever. From Anna’s research and my conversation with Isaac, I knew that Finn would need to use the power of the full moon to pull off his curse. Being thorough (and knowing it would interest me), Anna had also sent some more esoteric information about how blood curses work.
First, the person laying the curse needs a bio sample, usually blood, from someone with a DNA link to all the prospective victims. Then you need power—natural talent and the full moon would cover that. Finn was a powerful mage to begin with, and he’d spent close to two decades behind bars: years of not having to expend magical energy on much of anything. He had a lot of banked power to draw on, I’d expect.
Unless you were totally sure you had the right bio sample, you probably would make a preemptive strike against your first target. That explained why Michelle had been shot but not killed. Once you were certain you had the right sample, you used it to send the curse through the chosen individual and from him or her to everyone linked biologically.
The only way to stop a blood curse is to remove the link. In other words, if I wanted to save the Finns, I could do that by killing Michelle.
So not my goal.
I had turned off the engine to conserve fuel, but the heat was getting to me, so I started the car, turned on the AC, and pondered while I crawled a whopping six feet before stopping again.
I needed to break the link without killing Michelle. Not because breaking the link would save Connor Finn or his son, but because breaking the link would save Michelle. If the curse couldn’t “recognize” her from the bio sample, it couldn’t affect her.
When I’d first been bitten, the bio controls of my office safe hadn’t recognized me and I’d had to use the “pregnancy override” to get in—a convoluted process that the safe’s builders had come up with which allowed the safe to recognize the change in my biology—for nine months. Obviously the answer was not to get Michelle preggers or have her attacked by bats! But maybe we should try coming up with something that would change her enough to make the blood sample identification fail.
As an idea, that had promise. But how?
On impulse, I called Chris at the Company, the huge, private paramilitary company with fingers in pies all over the world. He answered on the first ring. “Gaetano here.”
“Hey, Chris.”
“Oh, it’s you.” His voice went flat and cold.
Wow, talk about your warm welcomes. Could he be any less enthusiastic? “You know, once upon a time we were friends. What happened?”
“I got to know you better.”
Ouch. Bastard.
“What do you want, Graves? I’m busy here.”
“It’s a business call. I want to hire you. Who do I talk to and what’s the daily rate?”
He dropped the phone.
I couldn’t help myself. I laughed.
“Yeah, yeah. Ha ha ha.” He was practically snarling when he came back on the line. “What are you looking for?”
“A client is going to be attacked with a blood curse on the full moon. I know there has to be a way to duck the spell—I’ve met someone who survived one. But he won’t tell me how he did it. I was wondering if a blood transfusion would work, make it so the bio sample wouldn’t find her.”
There was a long silence during which all I could hear was his breathing and the scratch of a pen on paper. Finally, he grudgingly admitted, “It might work.”
“Would it have to be a full transfusion?”
“Not by my calculations, but more than half.”
“How much would it cost?”
“I’ll need to run some figures. I’ll need to get blood from the
patient so I can type and screen it and find a suitable match. Then rent the equipment and find enough blood—we’ll need six or more pints, depending on the client’s weight. It won’t be cheap.”
“The client was hospitalized recently. Can you get the blood type information from the hospital records?”
“Not unless you can get me a signed release.”
“I can probably get one from the client.” I wondered if Fred’s house had a fax machine. If it did, I’d have Dawna fax over a release for Michelle to sign and fax back. Maybe get a written commitment to paying our bill while she was at it—Abigail had promised we’d be paid, but she was dead. Michelle had to be the one to sign the checks. And hiring the Company would not come cheap. I was hoping for a “friends and family” rate, but I wasn’t family and apparently we were no longer friends. That hurt worse than expected. It also pissed me off.
“Fine. I’ll check with the mages to be sure we’re on the right track, run some figures, and get back to you. Now put Dawna on the line.”
“I can’t, she’s not here.”
“She’s not with you?”
“Nope.”
“Well, that’s something, anyway,” he replied and hung up.
I punched the button to end the conversation with more force than was really necessary.
Since I was already in a foul mood, I decided I might as well call Gwen. I’d missed a couple of appointments and I was sure she’d want to lecture me and talk to me about my family. That was bound to make my day. Not. After that, if I didn’t feel bad enough, I could sit in traffic calling all the other people who were angry with me and liable to be nasty.
Stop it, Graves. People get mad. They also get over it. How pissed were you at Kevin a couple of years ago? Now you’re his boss and the two of you are doing fine. Just give things time. Of course that was easier said than done, and it did absolutely nothing to help me deal with the present.
I talked to Gwen, who wasn’t nearly as fierce as I’d expected her to be—then again, some of my flowers had come from her. I figured that maybe she was cutting me some slack since it was obvious I was in the middle of yet another of my infamous shit storms.