“You even look at another woman, Sweetness, I’ll feed your dick to the dogs.”
Her voice dripped with syrupy menace. He laughed and pulled her tight against his torso and did a little bump-and-grind. “You wouldn’t be that mean to your favorite piece of meat, would you, darlin’?
“You folks are the best entertainment I’ve had here since I took it over, but the truth of the matter is, these rooms rent by the day. Mostly to miners what don’ mind doublin’ up a bit. I got one room that has three—no, make that four—others in it. They wouldn’t complain none—as long as ya shared yur woman.”
“I don’t share.” Talon was angry enough to go for the man’s throat—if he could see him. “Is there another hotel in town?”
“Mister,” the manager said when he could stop laughing, “this ain’t one of them big, fancy towns down across the wilderness. Ya got three choices. Ya can take what I got here; ya can pay out the ass up at the Golden Ghost; or ya can sleep in the street, but it gets mighty cold here at night.”
“We’ll take our chances, elsewhere.” Shadow informed the obnoxious man. “Lead on, fancy man.” She pulled out of his embrace and slipped her arm around his waist again.
“Hell, darlin’ you’ve been leading me around by my short leg for weeks. I see no reason to change what works. You can lead me anywhere you’re willin’ to pay for the privilege.”
Talon waited until they were mounted and on their way up the mountain before moving in closer to Shadow. “Another word for ghost is phantom. Could it be that simple?”
“You know him better than I do. Is he stupid enough to think no one will put it together?”
“He’s not stupid but he is arrogant enough to think his little play on words wouldn’t be taken serious. Just so you know, I was able to see heat images in there. They were faint, but it supports what I said on the trail about this being temporary.”
“I hope you’re right.”
They rode in silence until Shadow pulled them to a stop and whistled.
“Son of a…you won’t believe this place. The Golden Ghost is three stories tall with wrap-around balconies on each level. If I didn’t see this with my own eyes, I’d never believe it.”
“What are you talking about, Blue? It sounds nice.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t describe it as nice, exactly. Talon, it’s painted metallic gold!”
“You’re kidding. Does it reflect the sun?”
“If you look straight at it you’re blinded. I’m serious; this building is polished to a mirror-like shine.”
“You have to love a criminal who doesn’t understand the concept of keeping a low profile. Let’s get inside so my eyes can adjust. This is too easy.”
They entered the Golden Ghost arm-in-arm but Shadow didn’t go into the urgent lover character. She asked for a corner room on the third floor, and could it please have a view of the mountains.
You missed your true calling, Blue. I know exactly where you came from but I would swear you were educated in the best private academies on the planet.
“Sweetheart,” she purred in his ear, “do we want to pay in advance and receive a discount rate or settle the bill when we check out at a substantially higher rate?”
“We’ll pay when we leave.” He managed to coat his words with just a hint of disdain. After three weeks on the trail they certainly didn’t look like they could afford this place, but the desk clerk was too well trained to say anything.
They were escorted to the room Shadow requested. After their young escort deposited their travel bags on the floor, Shadow asked him to close the curtains so she could nap after her bath. The woman was stripping out of her clothes as soon as the door closed behind the kid. He had instructions not to disturb her for at least a week—or until time for dinner.
Talon fumbled his way to a chair and sat down. The room was warm and the closed curtains blocked the glare of the snow and the building itself, if what Shadow said was true. This was the closest he’d come to Draagon even though he’d crossed paths with dozens of his Phantom Riders over the years. They came here following nothing more than a hunch—a gut instinct. That same instinct told him that evil bastard was here. All he had to do was regain his sight.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Shadow stayed in the tub until her fingers and toes wrinkled up and the water turned cold. She was shaved, trimmed, and plucked in the appropriate places and ready to get this assignment completed. The face staring back at her from the mirror wasn’t as familiar to her as it was before she met Dak and Kierin.
Things were so clear back then. Find Talon and do whatever she had to do to bring him back into the world of the living. Dak figured it would take her six months. She didn’t have anything scheduled so she had the time and the pay was astounding. She got half of the coins up front and the rest would be waiting for her when she delivered her final report. After that, all she had to do was decide which group of mercs to join and she’d be set. The kicker to that plan was she didn’t want to go back to that ‘soldier-of-fortune’ life.
You know what you did. You used the ‘p’ word. Never, ever use the word plan. It messes up everything. Her inner voice whispered from the image.
“I am so screwed and it’s all your fault.” She softly accused the woman in the mirror. “You had to go and fall in love with the target. That’s a newbie mistake, bitch. Sorry, you quit cussin’.” She listened for any sound of movement from beyond the door but it was eerily quiet. “What am I going to do if he can’t see?”
One thing was certain. She couldn’t stay in the bathroom all night. She had to know, one way or the other. She slipped into the rest of her clothes, drew in a deep, fortifying breath, and went to confront Talon.
He turned and watched her walk across the spacious room. He had the biggest smile on his face and it warmed her to her soul. He pulled her onto his lap and she snuggled against his chest for a minute before sitting up so she could see his face.
“What’s the verdict?” She was proud of her ability to sound calm and only mildly curious.
“I can see all the fireworks exploding around you, Blue.” He winked before pushing her back against his chest.
“Do I hear a but in there?” She asked quietly, her heart beating wildly against her ribs.
“Yes and no.” He finally answered. “I’m not totally blind in the eye with the working implant. I can make out shadowy shapes if I focus on them. The good news is that the other eye is working fine. The pulses of color are clear even when I looked out the window earlier.”
Another wave of guilt threatened to suffocate her. It all went back to the accident with the cart. If she hadn’t been so pushy….
“Blue, we’ve had this discussion.”
She didn’t realize she spoke out loud.
“IT. WAS. NOT. YOUR. FAULT. It was an accident. Please, baby, don’t do this to yourself.”
“But if I….”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.” Talon wouldn’t allow her to continue.
“There’s a room service bell beside the bed. I’ll order dinner while you take advantage of that tub. It’s huge.” Tonight she would be whatever he needed her to be.
“Are you complaining about my manly essence?” He asked, sniffing his armpit and making gagging noises.
“I like manly essence. You’re gamey.” She laughed at his antics. “Take a bath, fool.”
Hours later—after a delicious meal—after the hottest sex she’d ever had—after Talon made sweet, seductive, love to her—she slipped from the bed. Every brush of cloth against skin sounded loud enough to wake the dead. She didn’t know how he could sleep through her thundering heartbeat. When he fell asleep in the tub, it gave her time to gather and pack her things and write the note she would leave with the clerk to deliver to him with the morning meal they pre-ordered last night.
Her heart was breaking but there was no other way. The bounty hunter academy was waiting for him. He needed to confront
Draagon before he could move on with his life. She could give him that.
* * * *
Talon rolled out of bed when someone pounded on the door. It was a good thing he had familiarized himself with the layout of the room yesterday. “Who is it?” He asked.
“Room service, sir, with your breakfast. May I come in?”
“Yeah, come on in.” He opened the door, uncaring that he was totally naked. “Blue, food’s here. You better hurry that bath along before it gets cold.” Talon signed the ticket and the man left.
“Blue? Did you fall asleep in the tub?” He grinned remembering how little sleep they got last night. He wouldn’t mind spending the next several nights like that. Maybe even a lifetime? He didn’t want to disturb her but the continued silence bothered him. “Come on, baby. Time to eat.” He pushed open the door and it took several seconds before he realized the bathroom was empty. Where the hell was she?
A second knock at the door got his attention. This time he slipped into his pants before opening the door.
“This was left at the desk for you, sir. I apologize for not leaving it when I brought your meal.”
Talon was grateful he could see colors so clearly this morning. He saw the man’s extended arm and a vague image of…something. It felt like paper when he took it from the man. “I don’t know anyone here. Why would a stranger leave me a message? Do you know who left this?”
“I believe it was your companion, sir.”
Talon closed the door in the man’s face and stumbled to the bed. Why would Shadow leave him a note? Maybe she went shopping or sightseeing.
Did you see anything resembling a tourist attraction? Read the note.
Even that didn’t make sense. Shadow knew he had trouble reading before the problems with his eyes developed. He found the flap of the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper. He almost smiled at her solution. The note was written with a child’s pencil. Heavy black lines made it possible for him to feel the words. It was short.
Talon, it’s time to end this contract. I sent my final report to Dak back on Cyperia. You’ve got a good life ahead of you at the academy and they think you’re special. I’ve contracted a new assignment. Be safe, mister famous bounty hunter. Blue. P.S. I think you’re pretty special, too.
Talon folded the note and slipped it back in the envelope. He couldn’t believe she would just leave without saying good-bye. Dammit! He deserved more than a brief note delivered with breakfast. She didn’t think of him as a contract, she couldn’t, not when she made love with him.
You know nothing about her. Maybe she slept with all her clients?
“Dammit! She’s not like that!” He roared his hurt and anger into the empty room. When he fell over the serving cart his anger melted into despair. He didn’t know how long he lay amid the shattered dishes and ruined food. He needed a drink worse than he ever did in his life. Every time he thought about getting up and ordering room service to bring him a bottle, he heard her voice giving him hell and he couldn’t do it.
Why, Blue? I can’t trust anyone else with what I need. Did I just imagine the connection between us? We were supposed to do this together.
He finally calmed down enough for his brain to start working again. He pushed himself off the floor and grimaced when his knee squished congealed eggs. “Shit, I’m back to paying for breakage.”
After a quick shower, he called for housekeeping and another breakfast. He used the time to reevaluate his options. Any excursions outside the hotel were best forgotten. For all the elegance surrounding him, out there was still a raw, lawless mining town with no one to protect the unwary.
There was enough of the reward money to cover his expenses for a couple of weeks. Maybe longer if he quit destroying things. He could ask for a smaller room but this one was perfect—especially in light of his new limitations. The balcony wrapped around the corner with access through a door on each wall. He could watch the people on the street until he figured out which one was Draagon. The bastard owned this building so it made sense that he would check up on the management. Hell, he might even live here.
He had binoculars, a crossbow, and patience. The only thing missing from his world was Shadow. Wherever she went, he would find her. He wanted her to look him in the eye and tell him why she left. Draagon first.
* * * *
Talon watched the street activity for over a week and wasn’t any closer to finding Draagon. He’d seen plenty of criminal activity and as soon as he got back to civilization, he was going to push for a heavily manned bounty station up here.
The sun was already dropping below the mountain crest, leaving the town in shadows. Damn. There was that word again. He just couldn’t get Shadow out of his mind. Earlier he actually thought he saw her distinctive blue silhouette but when he looked again, it was gone. He missed her quick wit and sassy mouth. Yeah, you really miss that mouth but not for the sass. The cold was good for keeping certain body parts under control.
He started making a game of the watching after dark. The frigid temperatures meant every part of their bodies was covered except a small portion of the face. Everyone was rushing to get someplace warm. To him they looked like multicolored balls bouncing over the snow. He could recognize a few who passed by around the same time every night.
Talon extinguished the lights and slipped out onto the balcony. He created a cozy, little, camouflage nest between the windows where he could stay warm and catch snippets of conversation from the street as well as the balconies below him. If his search for Draagon lasted longer than his funds, he had enough dirt on the hotel manager to get this room for free, indefinitely.
The room next to his was being used for a party from the sounds of the laughter and the loud music. He wished someone would give the woman singing a drink or pour the bottle down her throat. She was almost as off-key as Shadow.
Two men walked over to the railing and looked down at the street. If they looked in his direction, all they would see was a snowdrift some lazy housekeeper didn’t shovel away.
“Look at him fawning over that bitch.” Man One spit over the rail.
“She’s a lot older than his usual piece o’ tail but she ain’t bad lookin’. Jud said she ain’t put out yet an’ the boss is losin’ patience.” Man Two was puffing on a cigarette that didn’t smell like tobacco.
“I say we go find a couple of women willin’ to put out.” Man One grabbed his crotch.
“That singer has got a powerful set of lungs. Wonder how long she can hold her breath around my cock?”
Both men left laughing and Talon was happy to know the entertainment was about to go voiceless. He focused the binoculars on the people below trying to determine who this boss was and why he was held in such low esteem by his employees. All he saw were the same bouncing balls. He thought one of them flashed blue but they passed out of sight.
He kept his vigil until the bars and taverns closed. No one lingered in the streets. Talon made his way out of his ‘snow drift’ and into the warm room. He never slept more than a few hours since Shadow left; but tonight he knew he wouldn’t get that much. She was on his mind more than usual today. When that happened, sleep was impossible.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The sound of boots pounding down the hallway drew Talon away from the window. When he opened the door to see why the rush to leave he was almost trampled. “Hey, what’s happening? Is the hotel on fire?” He even managed to sound like a frightened traveler while keeping a tight hold on the stranger’s coat.
“If ya don’ wanna lose that hand, mister, let go of me. Lord Draagon has summoned the guards and he don’ like ta be kept waitin’.”
Talon released the man with just enough of a push that he stumbled into two other guards and they all three went rolling around the floor. Was this the beginning of Draagon’s fall? He took extra time to slide the security bolt into place on the door. According to the little slip of paper attached to the door, nothing could destroy the lock. He didn’t
expect anyone to rush in and arrest him but he wanted a little warning if things went wrong and Draagon sent the guards to kill him.
When he was an active assassin/bounty hunter he learned early in his career to block out all unnecessary influences and focus solely on the objective. Those lessons were just as important today. His breaths were slow and measured while he cocked the crossbow. The modifications he made to the crossbow during his training period were minor but significant. As deadly as Shadow’s weapon was initially, this one, with a longer set of arms, could send a bolt completely through a tree trunk at fifty yards. His accuracy at twice that distance would bring down an eldorak or a boar.
The key to the extra power was using ultra-light composition material for the shafts and attaching smaller, sharper arrowheads. The metallurgical equipment left by Draagon only needed a few minor repairs before being ready for him to begin experimenting with different alloys. His shop classes were a long time ago, but he remembered enough to stumble his way through the creative process—once he found enough scrap metal to work with.
With his weapon cocked and waiting for a bolt, Talon grabbed his gear and moved to the balcony. He carefully laid the bow where he could get to it in a hurry and reached for the binoculars. The guards running from the building would lead him straight to Draagon. There was a growing crowd about two hundred yards up the mountain. The sounds of an angry mob filled the early morning air. With all the pushing and shoving, the knot of humanity was slowly moving in his direction.
A flash of bright blue caught his attention. This time it didn’t disappear. It was Shadow! She was standing beside someone with the darkest shade of green he’d ever seen. Wherever that person went, Shadow’s blue aura went with him. Understanding slammed into him! She didn’t just walk out on him! She was showing him which man was Draagon!
“Bless you, Blue.” He whispered, watching as the volume of the yelling continued to escalate as more and more people joined. An out-of-control mob was a dangerous beast with a life of its own and this one was rapidly approaching that state. The flashing colors from the heightened emotions blurred into an indistinguishable cloud. The only constant—the only one he could clearly see—was Shadow. In another few seconds, they would be in range.
The Men of Anderas III: Talon, the Assassin Page 21