by Ken Lange
If the matching irritated expressions they’re wearing are any indication, I’m about to get an earful. Again.
Rick points at the building and shakes his head. “What the hell, man?”
I hold out my hand to stop him. “I’ve already heard all of this from Kira.” Glancing between them, I say, “Not sure which one of you I have to thank for that particular phone call, by the way. So, if we could skip to the part where we search the building for Leonard and the ass-ton of baby wraiths he has with him, I’d be eternally grateful.”
Nicholas steps forward and folds his arms. “If you think for a second it’s going to be that easy to get me off your back, you’re sadly mistaken.”
This is where having a big brother is sort of a pain in the ass. He means well, but it can get annoying. I love the guy, but this overprotective bullshit has got to stop, especially since he’s supposed to be elsewhere right now. “Could we not?”
He gestures over at his vehicle. “I think—”
I cut him off. “While I appreciate the effort you’re putting in here, I only called the office to let them know that I wouldn’t be there this afternoon to finalize things with Mr. Smith. Speaking of which, when are you two getting back together?”
He checks his watch. “I pushed things back a few hours to tend to this mess. So, until then, consider me your shadow.”
Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I ask, “Do I have to?” He starts to open his mouth, but I continue, “Yelling at me isn’t going to get us any closer to Leonard and his bunch of goons. And that is the goal here.”
Rick bites back a retort as he motions the Ulfr Hunn ahead of us. “Fine. Mind telling us what you know?”
“Not much.” I point at the open window on the fifth floor. “I found a bunch of baby wraiths up there entranced by a weird humming noise and a sickening yellowish-green light.” Frowning, I say, “Oh, and Leonard’s one of them, but he’s able to shift between the wraith and his human form…it’s actually quite disturbing.” I roll my shoulders. “We had words, things got out of hand, and that’s when my friendly neighborhood sniper showed up. They popped three of them, which I’m guessing spooked the others because they were quick to rabbit down a hole in the floor. Before you ask, I haven’t a clue where it leads as I thought following them would likely mean getting dead.” I raise my gaze to theirs. “See? I’m not nearly as dumb as you guys think.”
Rick snorts as he fits his helmet in place and we fall into step behind the Ulfr Hunn. We’re about a dozen yards from the hospital when thunder fills the air and the world slows as a series of explosions tear through the building. A shockwave carrying dirt and debris blows the flimsy plywood off every window and door, and knocks us flat.
The ringing in my ears is deafening as I get to my feet. Glancing around at the others, I’m relieved to see the Ulfr Hunn and Rick in full armor. While I’m sure they’ll be feeling it for a few days, they’ll live. As for Nicholas, his shields probably snapped into place when mine did, which saved us from any significant injuries.
As the dirt and dust settle, the structure slowly collapses in on itself. Even if we’re able to clear the rubble, Leonard and his mutant wraiths will be long gone. The only chance we had was to follow the tunnel and hope they’d left something for us to find.
I stick out my hand and help Rick to his feet. “You all right?”
He pulls his helmet off and glares at the wreckage. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Which is way more than I can say about that chickenshit Leonard when one of us catches up to him.”
Nicholas dusts off his shirt. “I second that. What’s the plan?”
I point toward the office. “You’ve got a meeting to attend.”
He narrows his eyes. “That can wait.”
I keep my voice even. “No, it can’t. You need to handle that while I take care of this.”
His knuckles pop when he clenches his fist. “You’ve got people, like me, to tend to this sort of thing. Why don’t you go deal with the Pacis Gladius and leave me here?”
I chuckle. “Good try, but no. You’re going to finish the negotiations. And I’ll keep doing my job.”
He wags his finger at me. “I don’t think you understand. You’re putting yourself in harm’s way for no real reason.” Gesturing toward the CBD, he says, “Go back to the office, deal with things there, and I’ll handle things from here.” He holds his hand out to stop my reply. “In case you missed it, that wasn’t a request.”
The Ulfr Hunn suddenly find somewhere else to be.
My gaze flicks down to his hand. “Nicholas. I’ve been doing this sort of thing since before men were walking fully upright. I don’t have a clue what’s got you so worked up, but you need to take a deep breath and get over it.”
He slams his palm against my chest and stops cold when I don’t move. “Ah…why…?”
That’s cute. He’s actually trying to physically remove me. I hate to do this, but he’s got to understand that all things being equal…we’re not.
I step forward, bringing my forearm up to catch him just below his throat, and knock him flat on the ground. “In a sparring session, you can hold your own against me.” He’s on his feet in an instant and there’s real anger in his eyes. Wrapping lightning around my fists, I deliver a wicked uppercut to his solar plexus and a left cross to his jaw, charring the shirt and skin alike. He hits the sidewalk hard enough to crack the concrete. “Out here, in a full combat situation, I’m far more prepared than you, the Ulfr Hunn, or anyone else you know.”
Nicholas gets to his knees slowly and holds out his hands. “Okay…point taken.”
I allow the lightning to dissipate before helping him to his feet. “Want to tell me what’s on your mind and why you’re acting like an ass?”
His gaze hits the ground. “In the last year, I’ve lost all the family I’ve ever known. I’m not prepared to lose you too.”
Grabbing his forearm, I pull him in close and wrap my arm around him. “You won’t. But don’t ask me to send my only brother off to get murdered by a bunch of wraiths because he’s a hardheaded asshat.”
He grips me tight and nods. “Fair enough. Just promise to call for help if you need it.”
I step back and hold up my phone. “I did…which is why you’re here. Now stop being an ass.”
He snickers. “Fine.” Rolling his eyes, he says, “Guess I’m stuck with the paperwork for the foreseeable future.”
Shrugging, I smile. “A century or two at most.”
That’s a complete and utter lie. All he needs to do is get his feet wet and lose his predisposition for fighting fair, and he’ll be ready. The first part isn’t something you do with the wraiths. The second, that’s going to be a lot more difficult for the man. He’s a decent person at his core so adjusting his fighting style to match the world we live in could take a while.
Nicholas gestures at Rick. “Please give him hell in my absence.”
Rick glances between us and nods. “I can do that.”
Nicholas waves and heads back to his vehicle.
After he pulls off, Rick turns to me. “Was that necessary?”
“Unfortunately, yeah, I think it was.” Rubbing my forehead, I say, “I’ve had a lot of changes in the last year, and some folks suddenly seem to think they know what’s best for me. Or that they can do it better. I needed to cut that off at the knees with him.”
He grimaces. “Yeah, okay. I don’t like it, but I get it.” His gaze falls on the ruined hospital again. “We’ll secure the area. I’m guessing you’ve got other plans.”
Nodding, I say, “You’re guessing right.”
He motions for me to continue. “I’m going to need more than that if you expect to leave me here to suffer Kira’s wrath.”
I chuckle. “Paying Sylvia another visit. She pointed at Leonard, and now that that’s turned out poorly, I’d like to find out what else she knows.”
He furrows his brow. “That sounds less than pleasant.”
Patting him on the shoulder, I sigh. “Doesn’t it, though?”
Holding up a finger, he asks, “Any chance she set you up?”
I roll my shoulders. “Who knows? I mean, there’s a chance, sure. Likely, though, she’s holding back just enough information to make things difficult in the hopes I’ll get myself killed.”
He frowns. “She’s still nursing a grudge after all this time?”
The memory of the night speeds through my mind. “Yep.” I crane my neck from side to side, and it pops several times. “And I get it, but I’ve got a city to look after and her holding out on me means I can’t do that properly.”
His voice drops a bit. “Maybe Nicholas was right. Maybe he should’ve gone instead of you. I mean, she hates your guts.”
I run my hand over the top of my head. “Yeah, but she also knows me well enough to fear me. She doesn’t have a clue about Nicholas, and he’s far too nice to do what needs to be done.”
His shoulders slump forward. “I suppose so.” Glancing up at me, he says, “Do me a favor and be careful. I really don’t want to have to deal with Kira—or Nicholas, for that matter—if you get hurt.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Rick arches an eyebrow. “Could you do a little better? Your track record these last few days has sucked.”
I laugh. “Yeah, you might have a point.”
He checks his watch. “My people will be, like, ten minutes behind you. Which means you’re on your own until they arrive.”
“I’m almost certain I can manage ten minutes on my own, Mom. Okay?”
Rick rolls his eyes. “Not really, but it’ll have to do.”
I give him a dismissive wave. “You worry too much.” Sirens sound in the distance, and I sigh. “That’s my cue. You’ve got this, right?”
Rick nods. “Yep, go on before you get bogged down by a set of cuffs.”
Chapter 9
A thunderstorm out in the east is heading my way. Hopefully, I’ll be able to conduct my business with Sylvia before the weather turns too nasty. The last thing I want to do is argue about stupid shit in the rain.
About half a block from Pitot House there’s a violent buzzing in my ears…then nothing. Not a single sound comes from anywhere within or around me. I have to check the RPM gauge on the dashboard to ensure the car’s still running.
What in the ever-loving hell is this about?
After pulling up in front of the house, I put the car in park, get out, and watch as the door closes. Without a sound. I pivot on the spot to take in the scene, and a shiver runs up my spine at the unnatural silence. There’s a power to it that makes me uneasy. Maybe I should go ahead and ask Mir to send Nicholas after all. But when I try, I can’t contact him. Or anyone else.
I guess there’s no real point waiting. If something’s coming for me, I’d rather be inside than out. Taking a deep breath, I carefully make my way around the back of the house to the Hounfour. Normally, there’s a solid wooden door here, but today it’s in pieces all over the floor, and the doorframe is completely wrecked. With a stunning amount of insight, I’m going to guess that things are amiss here.
I pull out my cell to message Rick but there’s no service. Oh, crap.
There’s no way to avoid the mess that was the door, so I just go for it. My boots grind bits of wood into the hardwood floor, making me slip, but I get inside without falling on my ass. Graceful I’m not. But thanks to the unusual silence, I am quite ninja-like. For now.
In the Hounfour, Sylvia’s mangled body is lying on the floor with a rather large man standing over her. He’s got to be six foot or better, extremely muscular, with lustrous black hair that comes down to his shoulders. In his right hand, a thick chain is attached to an oddly shaped hammer resting at his feet.
Moving closer, I step on a piece of broken pottery, and it makes the most godawful crunching noise. Unable to stop myself, I look down at my boots and frown. Yep, that’s the way my luck goes most days. Christ.
The big man turns his head, and I instantly recognize his profile. “Afternoon, Ethan.”
Pivoting on the spot, he blinks. “Viktor? What are you doing here?”
I point at Sylvia. “My plan was to speak to her…but from the looks of things, that’s not happening.” Pausing, I shake my head. “In case no one’s told you this, you look pretty amazing for a dead guy.”
He’s the Ethan I first met shortly after he arrived in the city. He was maybe thirty-five at the time and had charisma to burn. The man was a rock star before there was such a thing.
The corner of his mouth turns up as he blows out a laugh. “Thank you.”
“Did you find the fountain of youth or something?”
Ethan rolls his eyes. “No.”
I wave my hand up and down at him. “But…you’re not…you know…old.”
He blows out a breath. “No shit.” Guess the blank expression on my face is doing all the talking because he gives me a haughty look. “It was all prosthetics and makeup, moron.”
Yeah, okay that makes sense. “Isn’t that shit uncomfortable? Or at the very least itchy?”
Anger flickers through his eyes. “Of course it is. But what choice did I have? Unlike you, I didn’t have access to the Archive’s new life program…not that you seem to need it. But for someone like me, an outcast, faking your own death and coming up with a new identity is much tougher.”
Seems like someone’s bitter. “If it’s such an issue, maybe you should’ve come to us. Unless there’s a reason not to…like, I don’t know, wanting us dead?”
He grips the chain so tightly his knuckles turn white. “Oh, there’s no question I’ve wanted you dead for a very long time. But due to certain circumstances, I’ve been unable to act on that desire.”
I gesture between us. “Yet here we are.”
He flexes his jaw. “It appears so.” Shaking his head, he asks, “Why did you have to mess with Leonard, today of all days?”
“You heard about that?” His expression tells me all I need to know. “Honestly, it was an accident. I was there to figure out why his people were going in but not coming out. At first, I thought it was one of his meth labs.”
Ethan’s expression darkens. “As much as I hate to admit it, my son is both my greatest accomplishment and my deepest disappointment. Either way, though, he’s still my son and you’ve injured his pride once again. Not to mention murdering several of my kin.”
I shrug. “Hey, I was just defending myself.” On a hunch, I gesture at the hammer. “I’m guessing you’ve been by the cemetery lately.”
Ethan tightens his grip. “What if I have?”
Flicking my finger at the weapon, I say, “Just an observation. No need to get testy.”
He hefts the chain. “Like it?”
I shake my head. “Not especially.”
He narrows his eyes. “You know those circumstances I was talking about earlier?”
I send more power to my shields. “The ones that prevented you from killing me?”
A wicked grin crosses his face. “Yes.”
If you’ve ever wanted to know what it sounds like when the other shoe drops, hang around for a few seconds. “What about them?”
He lifts the hammer off the floor. “Thanks to your actions over the last year, they’re no longer an issue.”
I motion for him to put the hammer down. “And just what did I do? I mean, other than throw Leonard out on his ass? Is there something I’m not aware of?”
He gives me a dismissive wave. “When it comes to the MCC, things turned out the way they did because Leonard’s an idiot.”
My lips twitch upward. “No argument here.”
His expression hardens. “Cute. But as always, you’ve missed the point.”
Apparently, I’m doing that a lot lately. “And that is?”
He grimaces. “That you’re a child who doesn’t yet understand the world in which he lives.” A dark smile crosses his lips. “And now that you’re here…I doubt you�
�ll have the opportunity to do so.”
Great, more shit I supposedly don’t know about. I point at Sylvia. “Why’d you kill her?”
His gaze flicks back to the body for an instant. “That’s entirely your fault.”
Furrowing my brow, I ask, “Come again?”
He gestures back at her as he lifts the chain. “Let me try smaller words.” Ethan hunches over to look me in the face. “She’s dead because you spoke to her about me. Simple as that.” He stands up straight. “I’m sure her intention was to get you killed…but even so, I couldn’t let that pass without teaching her a lesson.”
So, she’d found herself in yet another abusive relationship. The only difference is that this time it got her killed. “So, to teach her a lesson you murdered her.” I glance around the room. “Did you even give her a chance to fight back? Or did you just sneak into her home like a coward and bludgeon her from behind?” Giving him a dismissive wave, I say, “I don’t know why, but I expected more from you.”
His cheeks darken. “How dare you? Do you have any idea who you’re speaking to?”
I hold my index finger and thumb close together. “I’ve got a pretty good idea.”
Rage dances in his eyes as he stands up straight. “Fool, I am Bakulu.”
Wait. What?
As realization washes over me, he snaps the chain up and flings the hammer in my direction. Something about the thing is otherworldly as it sends shockwaves through my shields, my body, and even the Nexus as it slams into my chest. The impact easily lifts me into the air. The aftershocks grow in intensity, causing my head to pound. The sound of glass shattering fills my skull and a sharp pain shoots through my right eye before everything goes dark for a microsecond. Sweat pours off me and every inch of my skin burns. When my vision returns, the world is slightly askew.
Before I have time to investigate, my back slams into the plaster wall and tears a Viktor-sized hole through it. The next second, I skid across the floor and land hard against the stone hearth in front of the fireplace. I touch my right eyelid, and aside from a few jagged pieces along the edge, the crystal that had taken over my eye is no longer there. When I pull my hand back, there’s blue powder mixed with blood.