The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Files: Special Edition Fantasy Bundle, Books 1 thru 5 (Smoke Special Edition)

by Craig Halloran

  She headed for the restroom and glanced at Smoke, who still danced comfortably in Angi’s clutches. Horndog. The restroom was long, with many stalls crafted in white marble stone that rose from the floor to the ceiling. Sidney walked by a half dozen sinks in front of a huge vanity mirror trimmed in cherry wood. Beside them sat a small lithely built woman in a feathered mask. A basket of toiletries, same as those on the sinks, sat on her lap.

  Weird. Too weird.

  Sidney took the faucet farthest from the woman in the bird mask and turned the water on.

  “Ow!”

  The water was steaming hot. She glanced at the woman, who had her head cocked to the side. The black bird eyes faced her.

  Get used to it. Ignore it.

  She checked her face. Her make-up was a far cry from what she’d observed on the other women. Her clothes were far from up to snuff either.

  How out of place must we be?

  She washed her hands and had begun to rinse them off when the moaning started.

  “Uh, uh, uh …”

  A man and woman were cavorting in one of the stalls. Their moans got louder, the rollicking more pronounced. Sidney took a deep breath and adjusted her hair. The little attendant appeared with a steaming cloth on a plate. Sidney plucked it up with her fingers.

  “Thanks.”

  She wiped her neck down. I think it’s going to take more than this to get the filth off of me. She dropped it on the plate, and the little attendant walked away and put the washcloth in a bin then returned with a basket of toiletries. Sidney took a closer look at them. Geez! Some of this stuff is a hundred dollars an ounce. She picked out two tiny perfumes and a small shampoo bottle and crammed them in her pocket. The attendant’s bird eyes were glued on her.

  “Aw, you won’t tell.”

  Sidney felt a strange compulsion overcome her, staring at the tiny woman in the mask. Something was not right. It creeped down her spine. Looking deep into the eyes, she stretched out her fingers toward the mask. The figure didn’t move away. She glanced at the tiny fingers holding the basket. They reminded her of her niece, Megan. No. Not another child. She started to pull the mask up.

  Wham!

  The attendant jerked away at the sound of a stall door banging open. A giggling woman and a man with devilish good looks staggered by. Tucking his shirt in and buckling his belt, he winked at Sid and said, “Good evening.”

  The stall woman adjusted her skintight dress, slung her bra over her shoulder, and added as they strutted out, “Maybe next time you can join us?”

  Sidney stood alongside the sinks shaking her head, thinking, Ew, they didn’t even wash up after that. Now I know why they’re called the filthy rich. Giving the little attendant no more thought, she headed back out into the club. Making her way back to the bar and spying the dance floor, she noticed something out of place. Smoke and Night Bird were gone.

  CHAPTER 26

  Smoke and Night Bird weren’t the only ones gone from the dance floor. The bodyguards had vanished too. Those oxen shouldn’t be too easy to hide. She cut through the tables and patrons until she found herself on the other side of the room. Several well-concealed alcoves dotted the back. The heavy curtains were drawn on most of them. Sidney got a peek inside the closest one. Girls. Men. Sex. Drugs. She moved down the row.

  Ah, follow the goons.

  A pair of body guards stood on either side of the alcove at the end. The other guards were spread out nearby.

  Play along, Sid. Play along.

  She weaved her way toward them showing a dreamy look in her eye. She said to the nearest bodyguard, “Have you seen my friend? Tall guy. Kind of handsome?” She added a hiccup. “He was just dancing with that gorgeous lady. I want to party with them.”

  “Just move along,” the man said. “If Night Bird wants you, she’ll let you know, and I ain’t heard nothing about her wanting you. Consider it a good thing. So move along now, prissy.”

  I am so gonna take you out first, you nose-pierced jerk.

  “But,” she said, batting her eyelashes, “can I at least go in and say hi?”

  “No.” he looked her up and down. “But, maybe on my break, if you do me a favor, I can work something out.” He patted her ass.

  I hate this guy. I hate this place.

  “What did you have in mind?” she said.

  “Well,” his eyes widened. He touched his finger to his ear and cocked his head. He looked back at Sidney. “Huh, seems you have the okay to go in.” He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. His breath was heavy with cigarettes, but his soft words were perfectly clear. “That’s too bad. I was doing you a favor.” He pulled the heavy maroon curtain back and stepped aside. “Nice meeting you, lady.”

  Doing me a favor? I don’t see how.

  Sidney gave the man a funny look and drifted inside. Smoke sat back in a comfortable booth looking as innocent as a Boy Scout. A small round table offered drugs and drinks. Night Bird was beside him, glued to his hip. One long leg was draped over his, while her free hand toyed with the hair around his ears.

  “Is this your little friend, John?” Angi said, offering a playful smile. “She’s tall for a woman. Finely crafted. I like that. What is your name, dearie?”

  “Sidney.”

  “Hmph,” Night Bird said, “fitting. So, why don’t you come and join us.” She fanned her free arm out toward the other three people in the room. Two women’s hard bodies were only clad in feathery lingerie. A chiseled man with long brown locks and the looks of a Chippendale dancer sat drinking a bottled beer in only cutoff sequined trousers.

  I think I’ve seen enough.

  “I think it’s time to go, John,” Sidney said, lifting her brows.

  “Oh, dearie,” Night Bird said, squeezing Smoke’s thigh, “he’s not going anywhere. But maybe you can have him back tomorrow. He’s such a fine drink of water. I can’t wait to bathe with him.”

  Sidney’s chest tightened. “John, it’s time to go.”

  Smoke didn’t reply. Instead, he sat in a daze.

  Aw, crap! She’s done something to him.

  “You’re starting to bother me, dearie,” Night Bird said. “I think it’s time you moved along.” She glanced at the scantily clad man. “Be a dear, Bulldog, and escort our lady friend out.”

  The well-defined man’s bulging muscles flexed as he stood up.

  Sidney laughed. He was maybe five and a half feet tall, and she towered over him. “He’s cute, but really,” she said, staying him with her hand. “Please, I’ll show myself out. I don’t want you to hurt yourself”—she glanced at his pants—“Bulldog.” She backed up toward the door. “John, it’s time to go. Pancakes and Butterflies.”

  “Pancakes and Butterflies?” the woman said. “My dear, what on earth are you talking abou—”

  Night Bird slumped forward and crashed through the table.

  Bulldog growled at Sidney and closed in with clutching fingers.

  In a flash, Sidney put everything she had into a roundhouse kick that broke Bulldog’s jaw. He collapsed on the floor and didn’t move. The two women in the room started giggling, and one lit up a joint for the other.

  “I take it you have a plan to get out of here,” Smoke said. He had Night Bird draped over his shoulder.

  “You drugged her?”

  “It’s an unethical method, but effective,” Smoke said, staring at the curtains. “Every situation is different. So, did you disable all the bodyguards?”

  “What? Disable them? Exactly how would I do that? I don’t even have a gun.”

  “You take one of theirs.”

  Sidney stood by the curtain, felt the material, and listened. It was amazing how quiet the room was on account of the heavy fabric. She could barely make out the music. “I have an exit plan at least. That’s more than you have, John.”

  One of the girls started clapping. She said, “I like this game. What is it?”

  “Hey,” the other girl said, taking a toke. “What happened t
o Bulldog? And why do you have Night Bird over your shoulder, new guy?”

  “Where’s the other exit?” Smoke said. His eyes flashed, and his tone was urgent.

  “Why? What are you going to do?”

  Suddenly, one of the girls let out an ear-splitting shriek.

  Smoke shrugged his shoulders at Sid. “Run for it!”

  CHAPTER 27

  One of the bodyguards stepped inside the curtains. Smoke plowed over the man and kept going. Sidney didn’t stick around. She burst through the curtains just as the second bodyguard lowered his gun on Smoke’s back. She chopped him in the neck and twisted the weapon free of his grip. She turned.

  Aw, crap!

  The other four bodyguards were up, weapons drawn and moving. Alert men. Formidable. They didn’t see her coming. She squeezed the trigger.

  Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

  Two men collapsed, clutching at their legs and crying out in pain. Sidney jumped over them and sprinted after Smoke and his assailants, out into the larger room of the club. That was when the music stopped and the screaming started. A sea of bodies came to life and moved in a wave of panic. A heavyset woman in a sparkly tube top crashed into Sidney, knocking her to the floor.

  Hell’s bells!

  She scrambled to her feet and shoved her way through the throng of sweaty bodies toward the kitchen door. Two bodyguards disappeared inside. She was almost there when another woman grabbed her, yelling, “Help me! Help me!”

  Sidney slapped her in the face, widening the woman’s eyes. “Help yourself, halfwit!” She stormed toward the kitchen door and heard gunshots crack out on the other side.

  Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at!

  The kitchen help dashed out as machine-gun fire ripped through the metal pots and stainless cabinets. Sid went in low, spied a man blasting away with his back to her, and fired.

  Pop! Pop!

  He collapsed bleeding on the floor.

  Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at!

  She dove behind a rolling counter and peeked underneath. Feet, feet, where are you? She saw a pair of filthy sneakered feet shuffling over the floor tiles and took aim.

  Pop!

  “Ow! Sonuvabitch! My foot!” His shooting became wild.

  Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at!

  “I’m gonna kill you! I’m gonna kill you good!” said the bodyguard, spraying the room with bullets. “Where are you! Where the hell are you!”

  Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Blaat-at-at! Click. “Aw, hell.”

  Whop! Thud!

  From under the counter, Sidney saw the man fall flat on the floor. Whew!

  “Sid? Come on!” Smoke yelled out.

  She popped up and saw him. “What about the guy at the elevator?”

  Ka-Blam! Ka-Blam!

  “You talking about me?” said a hard voice. “Come on. Take my elevator.”

  Ka-Blam! Ka-Blam!

  “Shoot him, Sid!”

  “Yeah! Go ahead! Try and shoot me!” The man started clearing the kitchen aisles, one shotgun blast at a time.

  Ka-Blam! Ka-Blam! Ka-Blam!

  Sidney scurried from one side of the aisle to the other and got a bead on the man. She took a knee and fired center mass.

  Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Click.

  The big fella teetered backward into the counter, jostling the shot-up pots and pans. “Oof,” he said. “That stung. Good thing I’m best friends with Kevlar.” He snarled and pulled his two pistols out. Lowered the barrels on her. “Your elevator’s going down, lady!”

  Sidney dove down the aisle.

  Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam!

  “Where’d you go, little rabbit?”

  BLam! Blam! Blam!

  Pinned down with nowhere to go, she crouched behind the counter. Think of something, Sid. Think!

  “Last call, you squirrely little bitch!” A hail of bullets ripped through the counter.

  Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam!

  Bong!

  The gunshots stopped.

  Bong?

  “Sid, are you coming?”

  She glanced over the counter. Smoke was standing in the elevator, Night Bird still in tow. A huge frying pan was in his hand. He tossed it out on the floor with a clatter. She got up and ambled over. A bullet grazed her ankle.

  Inside the elevator, Smoke said, “You all right?”

  She pressed the button going up and glared at him.

  More bodyguards spilled into the room and rushed the door, which hadn’t yet started to close. Smoke filled the doorway, cradling Night Bird in his arms. “I wouldn’t shoot if I were you.”

  The men’s itchy trigger fingers froze. A few eternal seconds went by, and finally the doors closed.

  “You’re an idiot,” Sidney said.

  “Me, what did I do?”

  “You started a date in the middle of a mission.”

  “I just went with the flow. Sometimes the best plan is to let things happen and strike when there’s an opening.”

  “Oh, you had an opening all right,” she said, looking at the woman in his arms. “A pretty big one.”

  “Hey, I’m dedicated to the mission, whatever it takes,” he finished with a wry smile.

  “This isn’t On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and you aren’t James Bond.”

  “Don’t be a Moneypenny.” He glanced at her ankle. “Looks like you’re going to need some of my services again.”

  “It’s barely a flesh wound.”

  The elevator came to a stop.

  “Here,” Smoke said, handing Night Bird over to Sid, “hold her.”

  As soon as the elevator doors parted, his hands snaked out and jerked in a man carrying a pistol. He slammed the man into the back wall and snatched up his gun. “Switch me.” He hefted Night Bird over his shoulder and gave Sid the gun.

  Outside the elevator, they went down the service ramp that led outside. A cold rain was pouring down. After splashing down the street, they raced up the sidewalk, crossed over the intersection, and ran to the parking spot where the Hellcat waited.

  “Hurry,” Sid said, opening up the door, eyeing the valet station to the club across the street. The husky bodyguard was talking into his wrist as he scanned the streets.

  Smoke stuffed Night Bird in the back seat. “Let’s go,” he said, hopping into the passenger seat.

  “Stop! Stop!” The bodyguard had spotted them. He pulled out his gun. Others came to his aid. “Stop!” Pop! Pop! Pop!

  Sidney stomped on the gas, and the car sped away. She watched a swarm of angry figures diminish in the rearview mirror and took the next turn down the street. “I better not have any bullet holes in my car!”

  “Are you blaming me?” Smoke said.

  “You’re the one who said to park in the street.”

  “It was just a suggestion—and a good one, seeing how we’re making a clean getaway. You should thank me.”

  “We’ll see after I inspect the Hellcat later.” She took out her phone and said, “Call Howard mobile.”

  A voice grumbled on the other line, “Yeah, Sid?”

  “Ted, Night Bird’s in custody. Where’s the safe spot?”

  “Already?” he said.

  “Safe spot, Ted. Safe spot.”

  “Oh, oh, all right. Let me see. Are you on the road?”

  “Yes,” she said, irritated.

  “Okay, keep moving and I’ll text you directions. Give me a minute. Bye.” He disconnected.

  Sid looked over at Smoke, who asked, “What did he say?”

  “He’s texting directions. It’ll be a minute.”

  A coldness slipped into her body. In the rearview mirror, an image appeared. It was Night Bird leaning over her seat. A strange, somewhat demonic expression was creased in her face. Her lacquered lips parted, and she said in a bewitching voice, “Pardon me, but where are we going?”

  CHAPTER
28

  Trying her best to keep her eyes on the road, Sidney said to Smoke, “I thought you sedated her.”

  “I did,” Smoke said, looking back at Night Bird.

  The woman leaned forward from the back seat and placed her hands on either side of both headrests. “Sedate me? Ha. I’m immune to your toxins and poisons.”

  Sid noticed the long fingernails on the woman’s hands. There was something unnatural about them. “I see you didn’t restrain her either?”

  “I didn’t feel there was a need,” Smoke said. Night Bird was toying with his hair. “She shouldn’t have woken up until tomorrow.”

  “Don’t worry,” Angi said to both of them, “I won’t run. I never run.” She eased back into the back seat. “Interesting, a little tight, but cozy.” The exotic woman cocked her head in quick shifts and whistled a bird song. Her dark spacey eyes were in another world.

  “I think you better restrain her,” Sidney said from the corner of her mouth.

  Smoke opened the glove box and took out a set of flex cuffs. He twisted his shoulders around toward the back and said, “Do you mind?”

  “Oh,” Angi said, offering her wrists. “I don’t mind at all. I enjoy being tied up. How about you?”

  He secured her. “Not so much.”

  “And what about your uptight friend?” Angi touched Sidney’s ear.

  Sid jerked away. “Sit back, bird lady.”

  “Humph.” Night Bird eased back and resumed her bird song.

  For someone who’d been apprehended, the woman was very much at ease. Not the slightest worry creased her face. This really isn’t right. Sid’s phone buzzed. Directions from Ted appeared, to the safe location. It was twelve miles away. She glanced back at Night Bird. I can’t handle her tweeting another minute longer. “Hey! Night Bird. Shut your beak.”

  Night Bird quieted. “No need to be rude. I am capable of mercy, you know.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  Angi let out a frivolous laugh. “You two don’t know anything about me, do you?”