His boss groaned. Shay smirked.
James shrugged. “Why the fuck not? Just think of it as an early Christmas bonus.”
12
Crazak shook his head as he slipped into his chair. Looking around the table, no one would be able to tell that not all that many days prior the Council had been fighting for their lives. The survivors’ wounds were healed, and their current clothes immaculate. Still, the frowns and suspicion on their faces spoke of their experiences.
The elf summoned a few quick scrying windows. Their surviving safehouses and bases had not yet fallen.
“We’ve suffered losses, but we’re not defeated. I can see now that being overly reliant on establishing ourselves in the United States was perhaps shortsighted, but that doesn’t change the fact that we can’t reverse twenty years of planning.”
Yilin frowned. “We need more information on where the government pawns might strike next. All my contacts have been useless.”
Ferrao drummed his fingers on the table. “The loss of Senator Silvers has made us even blinder. Still, she lacked access to all of the information we needed. Even she didn’t seem to know how the government had learned the locations of our facilities.”
Yilin snorted. “Useless anyway. Warning us about the first raid was helpful, but she did little to help us with the others.”
“The military forces kept the operational details from much of the committee.” The gnome shrugged. “She’d at least told us enough that we could reinforce our facilities, and the trap at our first facility was bloodied the government’s nose. It doesn’t matter anyway. They have her now.”
He Who Hunts shook his head, his face, such as it was, hidden by his cowl. “I’ve tasted the magic at the sites. Our enemies did not trace us using magic. They knew where to strike.”
“Lawrence’s and Elizabeth’s contacts remain to be exploited,” Crazak offered, “but we still have to establish all the people they were dealing with. That will take some time.”
The secrecy that protected the Council also hurt them.
Yilin’s frown slowly faded. “Perhaps it’s over.”
“Over?”
She nodded. “Yes. They struck us repeatedly at our secret bases ferociously, but they’ve not followed up since then. Perhaps the slaying of General Francis was sufficient to cow them.”
He Who Hunts laughed. “Foolish hope doesn’t become foolish reality just because we cling to it.”
Yilin’s face contorted in rage. “Do you have something useful to add?”
“Blood has been spilled, but you forget that they are not as ruthless as we are.” A raspy laugh followed.
Crazak nodded. “They’ve hit us hard, but they’ve taken heavy casualties. They will need time to pick up the pieces, which provides us with an opportunity to better fortify our position. We will keep looking into the government’s efforts. We should abandon this place and keep on the move. That will slow them down.” He looked at He Who Hunts. “And take care of Senator Silvers. We can’t have them getting any information from her.”
He Who Hunts let out a hollow, raspy laugh. “It will be my pleasure.”
Senator Silvers paced her cell, rubbing her wrists. It’d only be a matter of time before a more severe interrogation began. It was only her status as a senator that was preventing the government from using the dirtier methods they might otherwise leverage in an investigation of the Council. They’d tried conventional interrogation, but she’d continued to insist she’d been framed by Correk.
They think they can scare me. They don’t understand who I work for.
If I only I had my ring. These fools don’t even have this place well-secured against magic.
She scrubbed a hand over her face. If she could escape, she could at least beg the Council’s forgiveness. She’d given them useful intelligence and helped them hurt the government forces. It wasn’t her fault that she’d been captured. They had to understand that. She couldn’t have anticipated Correk’s trick.
A loud alarm sounded, and muffled shouts echoed through the hallways.
Senator Silvers rushed to the door to peer through the small window but couldn’t make anything out. There were no other prisoners in this part of the facility, but obviously, something was going on.
It’s my chance. I have to take advantage of it. But how?
A cold wind blew past her and goosebumps formed on her skin.
What was that?
A tremor shook her body, and her heart sped up. She slowly turned around.
Red eyes stared out at her from a hood.
Senator Silvers took a deep breath. “Master, you’ve come to rescue me. I promise you that I’ve told them nothing.” She managed a smirk of pride. “And even if you left me here, I’d continue to tell them nothing. I’m a loyal servant of the Council.”
“Yes,” He Who Hunts whispered. “You will be left here, and you will continue to tell them nothing.”
A misty red arm shot out and wrapped around her neck.
The senator didn’t even have time to scream before her head melted.
Dannec smiled as he surveyed the pile of artifacts on a table in his living room. This little war on the Council would make him a very wealthy man.
Who would have thought helping the good guys would prove so profitable?
His smile faded. In searching through the information provided by the government, he’d found a few references that didn’t sit well with him. He’d not wanted to disturb Brownstone’s little task force until he had better information. A major part of the mystique of his job was looking like he knew more than others even when he didn’t.
These Council fools are playing with dangerous magic, even for them.
Alarm spells whispered in his ear. Someone was opening a portal directly into his apartment.
Dannec grabbed a horn from his mantle and chanted a quick spell. The horn burst into a blue flame.
I’m not such easy prey, Council.
The portal opened, and Correk stepped out.
The Fixer eyed the horn with a raised eyebrow. “That’s overkill, don’t you think?”
Dannec set the horn back on his mantle, and the flame extinguished itself. “Better overkill than being killed, I’d say.”
Correk chuckled. “I see you’re as subtle as ever.” He glanced around the room. “And business is good.”
“It’ll be even better soon, thanks to Brownstone.” Dannec dropped into a nearby recliner. “Are you here to shut me down, Fixer?”
The other elf shrugged. “If you give me a reason to, but today’s not the day. I’m here because you asked me here.”
“I was expecting you to knock.”
“You’ve been spending too much time around humans.”
Dannec laughed. “What an odd thing to say, especially coming from you.”
“Perhaps.” Correk found a nice seat on the couch. “Very comfortable.”
“I try.”
A tense silence passed between them for a long moment until the Fixer finally cleared his throat.
“I never supported your exile, you know. You were right to not obey those orders. Innocent humans would have died. It was wrong of them to suggest secrecy was more important than life.”
Dannec looked down. “They still saw me as a traitor who would put humans before Light Elves. Who knows, maybe they were right.” He looked back up. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve made a comfortable life for myself, and the way things are continuing, I imagine that soon all of us will be living among humans. If half of what people say is true, Oriceran doesn’t have long.”
“Rumors and whispers, not facts. And ‘soon?’ Do you mean by human or elf standards?”
“Both.” Dannec grinned. “But enough of the past, Fixer. I didn’t contact you to talk about my banishment. I came to terms with that long ago. I needed your help with Brownstone.”
Correk furrowed his brow. “Yes, Brownstone’s fight against the Council. You mentioned wanting my advice in y
our message?”
Dannec nodded. “The Council seems fond of Zains, but there was an offhand reference in one of the interrogation records. The humans thought it was mere babble, but it sounded familiar to me. I realized the word was old Atlantean, which was why they thought it was gibberish. I translated it, but I still don’t know what it means. Do you have any idea what a soul drinker might be?”
Correk frowned deeply. “Soul drinkers? Nasty creatures, but they’re extinct. There hasn’t been one spotted on Oriceran for millennia.”
The other elf shrugged. “It is clear to me that the Council has at least some.”
“Perhaps it’s not so surprising. Brownstone killed a similar monster in Japan, but they were calling it a despair bug. The soul drinkers might have been hiding on Earth all this time.” Correk frowned. “So many dangerous things are making themselves known now.”
“Sounds like a job for the Fixer.”
Correk nodded and stood. “If they can’t be reasoned with, then yes, but for now, this is more your problem. I’ll get you some tomes from the Library. They might prove useful in dealing with these creatures.” He lifted his hand, and a portal appeared. “If you could come back to Oriceran, would you? This Council represents a threat to both Earth and Oriceran. I’m sure your involvement in its defeat could convince certain parties to rescind your exile.”
Dannec shrugged. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m helping Brownstone and his friends first and foremost for money. My time in exile has made me far less idealistic than I once was.”
The elves stared at each other for a moment, then Correk smiled. “Your choice.” He stepped through the portal.
“Yes, Correk. It is my choice.”
Trey opened the back door of his F-350 and shoved the handcuffed bounty inside. A level one wasn’t even worth his time anymore, but the big man insisted that the agency make at least some apprehensions so the scum of LA wouldn’t get too brave. A quick bag-and-tag was nice anyway, like a brisk jog that got a man’s muscles loose.
Got to keep the skills going.
He slammed the door shut and hurried to the driver’s seat.
“You don’t have to do this, pal,” the disheveled bounty slurred from the back. His fetid breath should probably be classified as a chemical weapon by the UN. “I can pay you more than my bounty, you know. You can make a sweet profit. No paperwork, even.”
Trey snorted and started his truck. “Bitch, please. You think you can bribe the Brownstone Agency? You must be high, in addition to being drunk.”
“Whatever, pal. You’re a bounty hunter. You’re just a prick who arrests other people for money. Don’t act so high and mighty.”
Trey pulled away from the curb. “You seriously think you’re gonna guilt-trip me into letting you go? Keep dreaming.”
The bounty shook his head. “Nah, asshole, listen to what I’m saying. I’m gonna bribe you. So what if I took a little money that didn’t belong to me? They were giving it away to a bunch of cripples anyway. Anyone would have done what I did.”
Trey glared into his rearview mirror. “That was a charity for wounded veterans, you motherfucking piece of shit. Don’t tempt me to pull this truck over and beat your ass.”
“Just saying. It’s like Scrooge said. Those assholes should just die and deplete the surplus population.”
Trey snorted. “Keep talking like that. I know one way to deplete the surplus population.” His phone rang, and he snatched it from his pocket. “What?” he snapped without looking at the caller ID.
“Don’t you take that tone with me, Trey Garfield,” Aunt Charlyce hissed back.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” He winced. “The bag-and-tag was annoying me. Didn’t even know who was calling.”
“I’ll tell your Nana on you if you keep that up.” She muttered something in her throat. “Anyway, after you’re done dropping off the bounty, Mr. Brownstone wants you to stop by and pick up the first set of the healing potions. He says you don’t have to worry about the money. He’s taken care of that. He just wanted to make sure someone reliable did it because he’s busy with all this research and whatnot.”
“Yeah, yeah, fine. I’ll do it.”
“All right, then. Don’t be so rude next time.”
Trey chuckled. “I won’t, Auntie Charlyce.” He ended the call and looked into the rearview mirror. “I need to hurry and drop your ass off. I’ve got better shit to do than ride around with some stanky-ass motherfucker.”
13
Trey whistled as he strolled up to Zoe’s door. He knocked lightly and waited, his hands in his pockets.
I still can’t get the smell of that asshole’s breath out of my nose.
The witch opened the door, her white robe clinging to her wet body, her dark hair sticking to her face.
Okay, that’s a nice distraction.
Trey looked her up and down. “Did I come at a bad time?”
Zoe shook her head and grinned. “Nope. Just took a little shower. Helps sometimes when I have a hangover.” She motioned him inside. “I was trying something different today.” She twirled around. “Don’t worry, I assure you I’m sober right now.”
“Yeah, okay, then.” Trey shrugged. “Not really my business, ma’am.”
The bounty hunter stepped into the maze of standing and hanging planters filled with a variety of plants, including several that were twitching, moving, or glowing. A riot of smells attacked his nose, but he couldn’t say anything smelled bad, especially compared to what he’d been dealing with earlier.
The witch closed the door and sashayed toward the kitchen. She stopped before entering and turned around, her gray-eyed gaze roaming over Trey’s body.
Is she checking me out?
“Big man should have called ahead,” Trey explained. “I’m just supposed to grab some of the potions. You got a box, or do I need to go get one?”
Zoe marched away from the kitchen and behind Trey.
He started to turn to face her.
“Don’t turn,” she ordered.
“Huh?”
What the fuck is going on?
“I’m looking at something,” Zoe explained.
Trey frowned. “What?”
“Your nice ass.” She laughed.
Trey’s brow lifted. “Not that I’m complaining. It is a mighty fine ass, but, damn, girl, you sure you’re not smashed? Big man told me how much you have to down for your magic.”
She wagged a finger at him. “Not in the slightest, which is unusual for me.” She chuckled and ran a hand down her side. “You know, I could make this whole thing a bit cheaper for your boss.”
“Okay.” Trey shrugged. “I’d have to call him. I don’t make the decisions on the big expenditures.”
Zoe tittered. “No, no. You don’t understand. You’d be the one giving me something. It doesn’t involve him at all.” Her eyebrows raised suggestively. “I follow the Dionysian Way. Do you understand what that means?”
“Yeah, I get that. It means you’re into the wine for your magic.”
“Yes, that’s part of it, but many followers of Dionysus aren’t just interested in wine. There are certain activities that are just as intoxicating.” After a few seconds, Zoe licked her lips.
Trey's eyes widened in surprise.
Is this shit happening? What is it with hot witches eyeing me? Not that I’m gonna complain.
He cleared his throat. “So, you’re saying we have a little fun, and you cut down on the big man’s bill? I mean, you’re damn hot, so I’m not exactly saying you’d have to do that anyway, but since you already mentioned it, I want to do my professional due diligence.”
Zoe inhaled deeply and then slowly let it out. “Yes. Sex with a virile man offers great power.”
Trey straightened his tie. “Ma’am, I guess if I have to sacrifice my virginity for the team, I’m your man.”
He winced and had no idea why he’d just admitted that to the witch.
Dumbass, Trey. What the fuck are you doing
?
Zoe blinked. “Your virginity?” She gasped and put a hand over her mouth. “How perfect. How utterly perfect. You don’t even realize the value of what you’ve offered me.”
Trey laughed and shrugged, some of his embarrassment fading. “Well, I’ve been trying to save it for someone special, and a witch is pretty damned special.”
“Oh, indeed. I’m one WILF you’ll enjoy sharing your first time with.” She headed toward her bedroom, hands on her hips. “Although it’s an amusing joke, young man.”
“You ain’t that much older than me, and it ain’t no joke.”
“Sure.” The witch looked over her shoulder. “As for my age, let’s just say I aged well.” She winked. “If you’re telling the truth, you’re about to save your employer millions of dollars.”
The bounty hunter laughed. “Damn, I’m the kind of gigolo you have to save up for.”
Trey followed her into the bedroom. She dropped her robe and closed the door with a grin.
Heather blinked at the grinning Peyton in the video chat window. “Cleaning service? Seriously?”
He nodded. “Yeah. They used the same company, and it doesn’t have any links to Purity or any of the other underworld companies handling that kind of crap. Only a small number of companies are using it.”
Heather nodded. “Okay, I’ve identified a few of the shell companies they’ve been using. If we cross-reference those shell companies with some of the cleaning company stuff, we might be able to pinpoint a few more of their bases.” She tapped away at her keyboard. “Sending you the most likely hits.”
Peyton picked up a piece of pizza and took a bite. He demolished it before nodding. “We’re actually kicking ass and taking names. It looks like the Council’s hacker game just isn’t as good as their magic game.” He set down his slice of pizza and clicked his mouse a few times. “Cross-referencing the data now, and…bingo. Looks like we got two strong hits.” He grinned. “Perfect.”
Fatal Mistake: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone Book 11) Page 10