Wight

by Dorien Vincent

  The City was a blur. Tset felt like he was going a hundred-fifty miles an hour through a full parking lot - everyone returning home or going out on the town. Again, Tset did not care for stop lights, other cars, anything. None of it concerned him, only this time he had a bit more torque and horse power.

  He glanced down to watch the speedometer give a friendly bump to 175, but almost missed his turning.

  He left more of his mark across the intersection, whipping 180 degrees and another ninety, narrowly missing a van and a truck, oncoming from two directions. They didn't even have time to brake before Tset was gone again in his little red Viper.

  Haliburton loomed, coming fast. The people who normally went into and out of the building stood in shock instead.

  'An audience.'

  Tset slammed down the brake and jerked the wheel as he came over the rise in the drive, sluicing the car sickly into a shrieking drift and a lurching jump when the super-performant tires caught asphalt again.

  The car purred, audibly.

  Tset purred, mentally.

  He shut off the engine and climbed out.

  A man was standing over him. Tset kept the key. "No need to park it. I'll be back in a minute." He patted the deadly individual on the shoulder and strolled into the building. The man was a world-class bodyguard, hired by only the best, but was too much in confused awe to have gotten the insult right away, so Tset was already gone. The other people who'd heard the engine and witnessed the lunge simply stared around, trying to work out exactly what had happened. Soon, though, they went their separate ways.

  In the lobby Tset met with Elisabeth.

  She was going out tonight and so had put more effort into her presentation. If told earlier that she planned on doing this, Tset would have agreed but the purpose would have been lost on him.

  It wasn't now.

  She was wrapped beautifully in a silken evening gown. Azure. Rather than her appearing to have been poured into it, it looked as though it had been poured over her, as she obviously came before any piece of clothing currently in existence.

  She had only one ornate gold hairpin holding her perfect mane away from her ear - showing the flawless line of her neck as well as a dangling amber earring. Her hair had been straightened and it shone different hues of night-black.

  A light dusting of gold shaded her eye lids beneath immaculate eyebrows.

  Before he knew what he was doing, Tset had bowed and kissed her hand.

  "Tset?"

  He was staring up at her. "Yes?"

  "Should we go now?" Her smile was sly.

  "Absolutely."

  Outside he nodded to the confused guard.

  Elisabeth greeted him, "Elkin."

  Elkin nodded at her and stared at Tset. Tset pointed at him and winked.

  When she caught sight of their transport, "Oh, Tset, what a car." She was doing a round, seeing it from all angles.

  "She's definitely an item." He was grinning, admiring his machine.

  "Who picked it out for you?"

  "Yonotan."

  "Does he know you well?"

  Tset shrugged, "If this is any indication, he's a good judge of character."

  She laughed, "I would say you're right." She winked at him, and he could do nothing but laugh.

  When they were both inside, Tset arriving second after holding open her door, Tset said, "I'll drive slow."

  "Why?"

  "Regular speed is about two-hundred mph."

  "Well, you're going to have to show me that." That smile again.

  Tset could take a dare. "Buckle up then." He neglected to, but she did, with a laugh to match her smile. The engine roared and the car flung itself down the driveway and into unsuspecting traffic.

  The operative term for his wake would be 'chaos.'

  And in a few minutes she had shrilled and slapped Tset's arm, covering her eyes with her other hand, "Tset! Stop!" She laughed.

  He broke hard and instantly the car slid out. Tset only had the apparency of losing control. Elisabeth's timing was perfect.

  He looked at her until she peeked over her arm. He wore his usual smirk, he was relaxed in his seat, one hand hanging over the upper edge of his wheel, "We're here anyway."

  She gaped, then looked out the windshield.

  "But this is a half hour from where we were!"

  "In five minutes, sounds about right."

  She giggled, not in character, but it sounded angelic, then, suddenly business, she turned and opened the glove compartment, inside was an ear bud and a wireless switch on a clip. "This is for you. Yonotan is already inside."

  Tset put the bud in his ear and put the button in his pants pocket. "Alright." He exhaled and shook his arms to loosen them. He had no idea what would be inside. He would be immediately disappointed.

  She smiled, "Ready?"

  He opened his eyes and looked at her and she saw her own face reflected twofold in his darkened lenses. "Yeah. Just... loosening up." He sighed and leaned out his door.

  "Wait."

  He stopped, peering back, "Yes?"

  "Why do you wear the sunglasses, even at night, even while driving?"

  "Mismatched irises."

  She gave him a quizzical look.

  "Trust me, you don't want to see it."

  She laughed lightly, "Okay, I'm sure I'll get a look later."

  He laughed and got out of the car. She exited on her side.

  This time the man who caught his key was just a shaky valet.

  Inside the club was very posh. There was soft lighting, muted tinkles of jewelry, expensive silverware and crystal. Conversation was a burble.

  Tset looked around, Elisabeth hung on his arm and instantly they turned heads.

  Yonotan buzzed in his ear, "'Eylo! You made it. Okay, so, de man across de room from you, in de blue shirt..."

  Tset looked. Some kid, dressed so expensively he probably sweated rubies, was wearing a blue shirt. His dress was gaudy. Tset hated him instantly.

  Tset pushed the button in his pocket. "Yeah?"

  "He's a suspect."

  A man wearing a fedora brushed by Tset on his way in.

  "Okay."

  "For now, go an' sit down, enjoy yourself. You an' me, we keep de eyes open."

  Tset said, "Hmm." And pulled Elisabeth deeper into the club. He sniffed - the iron smell of blood tinged his nostrils. He looked around, nothing was out of place, so he thought maybe he hadn't showered quite enough. Maybe from the nine-iron? He looked at his gloves before he sat in a cushioned leather chair. No stains.

  Elisabeth sat with him. There was not enough room for two people in the chair, though she didn't seem to mind.

  Tset had to stay watchful so he focused on the people he was now with - an old heavyset man with a handlebar mustache and only silver wisps at the sides of his head and a younger cue-ball-headed man with olive skin. The latter wore three silver earrings in his left ear - the loops were thick. The old man was speaking, and the other man, wearing a pair of sunglasses smaller than Tset's, was quiet and moody, his face cut like granite.

  Tset was listening to the old man, too, Elisabeth also seemed to be. He was talking about a hunting expedition in South Africa.

  Tset smelled bourbon, "Hey, Liz, do you want something to drink?"

  She looked away from the old man and at Tset's face. Tset briefly wondered if she was acting the way she looked at him. "I would love a gin and tonic."

  Tset nodded, "Yeah, try it with pure cranberry juice and a slice of orange."

  She paused, "Sounds nice." Nodding her ascent.

  Tset got up to go to the bar. Again, a scent of blood. It smelled older, though. Maybe it was his imagination? Or a nosebleed?

  He wiped his nose with a napkin from a waiter's tray - again, no stains.

  While Tset was at the bar waiting for his drinks the man with the fedora sat down next to him. Tset recognized him from earlier. The man was very, very, sauced.

  "Take it easy." Tset said a
nd picked up his drinks. The man didn't respond.

  When Tset started back he noticed someone had very nearly taken his space next to Elisabeth - the individual sat on the arm of the chair and talked with her.

  Tset balanced both tumblers on one hand and reached his other into his pocket, contacting Yonotan while he walked. "That asshole with the blue shirt is making passes at Elisabeth."

  "Don't let dem out of your sight."

  "Not a problem."

  When Tset arrived, he was obviously annoyed, the blue-shirted individual had Elisabeth's hand in his and apparently had kissed it. Elisabeth was distractedly smiling at him until Tset stood over them with the drinks in his hand. She smiled openly, "Tset, meet Roy."

  Tset looked at Roy, emotionlessly. He ignored the offered hand and the gregarious smile. "You're in my seat."

  Roy looked falsely abashed, his charm faltered, "Well, I was just-"

  "Move."

  Roy moved.

  Tset sat down and handed the balanced gin to Elisabeth.

  She sipped it, nodding, "I do like this."

  Tset grinned and sipped his whisky and Coke, "Thought you would."

  Roy was very decidedly ignored.

  He began to speak, but Tset made a show of putting down his glass and putting his arm around Elisabeth. He cracked a joke.

  Roy cleared his throat, "I was just saying to the lovely-"

  The sunglasses snapped up to meet his eyes, the tone was sharp, "Shut. The fuck. Up." Tset was looking up at him, levelly.

  Roy looked shocked and Elisabeth failed to entirely stifle a laugh.

  "Wha-?" This was not the order of things and Roy's careful machinery was interrupted in its operation.

  Tset glared for a minute more, and Roy attempted another foray, "I'm so sorry, have I offended anyone?"

  "Well, Ray, let me make you a deal: Leave."

  Roy hesitated.

  "Now, immediately. Join your rental bellhop buddies."

  "But. I've-"

  Tset held up a five Eurodollar bill. He graciously tucked it into Roy's breast pocket with a flourish.

  He patted it, "That's for you." Tset winked.

  Roy hurried away, speechless – his blush radiating out of his collar like a California wildfire.

  Tset watched him go and then lifted his glass again, "Excuse my language, but he was an asshole." He sipped his Coke with a straight face.

  The bald man was the only person who did not burst out. The old hunter and Elisabeth could not hold back the laughter.

  This at least got another grin out of Tset. The man, now red-faced, asked, "Boy, what is your name?"

  Tset picked something Egyptian, "Ra, and this is my date, Isis."

  The man laughed, "False names, they suit. I'm James and this is Q."

  "Those suit, too."

  Q looked at Tset without speaking. He did not smile.

  Tset stifled a grin, "Aw, gimme a break."

  "Ignore him. He's a deaf mute." James laughed.

  "No shit."

  Q piped up, "And blind." His voice was gravelly and flat.

  James snorted, "Right, blind in this line of work might be the perfect physical defect."

  Q shrugged.

  Tset asked, "Why is it Q, then?"

  "Why is it Ra?"

  "If you didn't notice, Isis is also Egyptian, Q... ah, not really anything."

  "To be honest, you're the first guy I've met with enough balls to point out the obvious."

  Tset laughed and ran a hand through his hair, "Excellent."

  Elisabeth looked somehow pleased. She moved closer in.

  Q grinned slightly. It looked like a canine's smile, just a lift in the lip.

  After a few more drinks, Tset had to use the bathroom. He was sober, but he thought that Liz might be feeling it. He asked her if she was okay, "Of course!" She answered.

  He excused himself to the john.

  He stood there, at a carved marble urinal, observing himself take a leak in the mirror against the opposite wall. He checked his teeth, polishing an incisor with his gloved pinky.

  Right away the man with a fedora walked in. He went to the sink and got the water running.

  He took off the fedora and underneath were bandages. Tset was curious, but one bit of social grace he did believe in was that bathroom time was private time amongst males, so he just continued what he was doing while guardedly watching the man with the hat out of the corner of his eye.

  The man started to unwrap the bandages. Underneath was a brutal head wound, there were staples and stitches on an irritated red patch of shaved scalp.

  This twigged Tset's memory - when the man had entered the club, when Tset had, he had already looked out of it - but had not been drinking. This wound was new and would explain the lingering smell of blood.

  When Tset had hurled an ashtray at a man earlier that week it had struck at about the same spot.

  This was a man who had been hit hard in the head with a steel-constructed, public use ash tray not long ago and was still suffering from it.

  Tset tested his theory, "You seen any ash trays around?"

  The man's eyes snapped to Tset's. He dropped everything he was doing and was out of the bathroom, he even left the water running.

  Tset started to follow and then realized he was about ten seconds into what he was doing. His bladder was definitely not empty, not after all that whisky.

  "Shit!"

  He radioed Yonotan while keeping things under control, "Get the guy coming out of the bathroom, now."

  There was no answer.

  "Shit!"

  Tset tried to speed things up, but this was futile. He impatiently waited.

  He hopped twice on his right foot, thrice on his left, then, quickly zipping his pants, he tore out of the bathroom.

  He slammed into Roy, who grabbed him. Tset put him on the ground, "No time, Andy." And he was gone back to Elisabeth's side.

  "Liz, did you see a guy trailing bandages come through here? And where's Yonotan?"

  She looked up at him, the alcohol clouding her eyes was gone in an instant, "No! I don't know, he was right..." She looked and he was gone. "Oh no."

  "That's right."

  Q looked up, he was definitely curious, he glared this. James was also but quiet. "Are you on a mission right now?"

  Tset looked evenly at James. "No."

  James harumphed, "Tell me who to shoot then!"

  Tset didn't allow his lips to even twitch, he stormed out to get a better vantage for Yonotan and was about to radio again when the lights died.

  He spun, he saw Elisabeth dragged through a panel in the roof, the panel, invisible before, clicked shut inaudibly.

  The lights came back up.

  Tset was without words.

  Everyone else in the room was getting very disgruntled, James had a .357 with a twelve-inch barrel and Q had a small 9mm and a Bowie knife concealed.

  Tset was moving back to his two compatriots - he figured he could trust them - when the lights went dead.

  What Tset saw was a slight darkening, and then an arm around his throat. Without thinking he had already driven his stiletto through the attacker's neck. He used the dying man's frame as leverage into the roof and was gone before anyone could see again.

  What everyone else saw was Tset moving across the room, the lights go out, and come back only to show Tset to have become an armored and masked killer with a spluttering neck wound.

  The illusion of transformation was created.

  Q almost shot the replacement but a jet of blood hit the ceiling and told him Tset had already done what was necessary.

  The killer toppled.

  James signaled Q. "Old friend, this is a red alert. Can you let Hal know? I don't think my phone will work."

  Q nodded, but his phone was jammed.

  "This is a coup, for sure," James spoke, "The mysterious Z Section is going to strike."

  The two friends looked at each other - coming to an agreement - t
he disappearing man with the sunglasses was obviously the legendary Tset. And both knew Liz. Hopefully she could hold her own.

  Suddenly the room lit up with violent, flashing muzzles. Bullets grazed their chairs and destroyed the bottle of port on the table, James' .357 rocked in response.

  "Q, we move."

  They moved to cover, anyone in the room could be out for anyone else. Staying in the open was suicide.

  Tset was in shadow. There were two small rooms above the club and he was in one of them. From the other he saw the glow of security monitors and he could see several shadows under and around the door.

  There was a slap, Liz made a small sound. Tset's blood began to boil.

  He heard Roy speaking, but it was tinny, over a radio. Someone who looked like Roy through the crack of the door answered back. They were looking for him and things were getting heated downstairs. The 'other one' was to be taken and used as bait.

  Yonotan! Where was he?

  "You, go check and see what happened to our sunglasses friend."

  'Apparently the Roy-ppelganger gives the orders...' Tset pressed himself against the wall just as the door opened. He was glad to see it was the ashtray patsy.

  He grabbed him and cupped his mouth, quietly, stepping back into the other room. "I've got a hostage here, so explain yourselves, nicely."

  A couple of the others grabbed guns, one was dressed in the same suit as the assassin who'd come through the roof. The one who looked like a slightly older Roy laughed, "You think we care if you kill him?"

  Tset shrugged and blew the back of the man's head off.

  The body began to drift outwards, the remainder of his head rolling forward under the large pistol's concussion, but Tset's hand had been under his jacket and was back, black glove on mahogany grip - three shots, two from the second, and one from the first.

  Three hits; two fatal, Roy's brother in the thigh.

  He pulled Liz away from the carnage. She retrieved a .22 Berretta with a suppressor on it and pulled the slide and checked the chamber.

  "Tell me quick where your friends are."

  Roy senior gasped, "I'm not telling you anything."

  Tset knelt and grabbed the very stylish hair, pulling almost a fistful out in a bloody clump, "You will explain, now. I may call you an ambulance. No one bleeds this much and lives."