Law of Shadows, page 4
Grinning wide, I hit the man as he turns around. He is catapulted over my car and flips twice like a broken doll. I hit the breaks and come to a halt, then I watch him in the mirror to make sure that I didn’t hit a sorry human who just looked similar. I would have no bad dreams about it, but I have no reason to maim a corpse while the real target gets away.
When he twitches and tries to get to his knees, I know that I have the right one. I go into reverse and drive backwards. The car squashes him with a nice ‘ba-dumb’, ‘ba-dumb’ as I make a complete pass over him. Then I drive forward, aiming at his legs, and ignore the screams. I didn’t scream when he shredded my leg. At least I think I didn’t. The memories are a little hazy now with all the pain.
I stop when he is in line with the driver’s seat and open the door. With force. The door impacting his head creates a rather nice sound.
Then I pull my pistol and aim it at the whimpering man, not leaving the car. “Why are you here and who are you?”
He ignores my question and I shoot somewhere non-vital. Just to make a point. “Why are you here and who are you?”
His hands flail when I shoot again and he screams, “You mad son of a-”
I shoot.
“I was talking! Are you deaf!?” He screams again.
It sounds indeed a little muffled. I yawn and pick my ear, retrieving a clump of coagulated blood. I totally forgot that the explosion blew my eardrums. “Repeat.”
“We are here to retrieve the Hammon sisters! They are hiding inside your territory! I am Tetrach Hammon and you and your territory are so fucked- Aah!”
I shoot him again, contemplating the fact that the two female Old Ones are hiding from their own clan. There are all sorts of fucked up family situations, who am I to judge? The fact still remains that they entered my territory without asking for permission. I am a little removed from the Old One’s society, but there are ways to contact me. A little heads up would have been nice.
Admittedly, I haven’t answered any requests in eighty years. But these are special circumstances, as it is the first time in years that someone had the audacity to invade in numbers. The Hammons are located somewhere in Russia, I think. They are a big and influential clan. So maybe they don’t have all the info on how things are running in my territory. Bad information gathering from their side? We aren’t neighbours by any means. Maybe they looked at the map and found my little estate too small to be taken seriously?
Okay, Austria is kind of unimportant, and Carinthia even less, but it still hurts that they didn’t even bother to look up my clan’s history. I drum my fingers on the steering wheel.
“Get the car off me!”
I shoot him in the head. Then I drive the car off of him.
It takes me a while and it hurts as fuck, but a little later I have him in the car’s boot. I just hope that he stays down for long enough to allow me to lock him up somewhere safe. We Old Ones can heal from a lot. Only massive trauma kills us. And by massive I mean completely gutted, or cut in two. Maybe he can still be useful.
Then it takes me ten minutes to change the blown tire, even though I used a little magic to cheat. By some heavenly intervention none of the passing cars stops to help. I doubt that they would have overlooked the large smears of blood on the pavement in that case. Or the dents in the car. It didn’t look pretty before, but now it’s a wreck, even though I cleaned away the worst with water magic.
Maybe I’ll give the troll chieftain a few more days and deal with these Hammons first. They certainly earned it.
5. ~Visitors~
“Rend and tear. Then scrape and mar. Last, you sew and put it on. The other sheep won’t recognize you.”
A memory of the Old Ones.
Carinthia
Eva
“I just want to look out for you. You are my bloodkin after all. Why don’t you understand that I’ve only your best interest at heart. And I tell you that going to that club at this hour isn’t safe.” I sit down on the bench and cross my legs.
My twenty-twelth-generation grandchild adjusts the spectacles on her nose and looks at me as if I am liar. “I don’t understand what should be so dangerous about meeting with my book-club at the library. All of us are friends there and we only discuss our favourite books.”
I roll my eyes. That’s exactly what’s dangerous about such clubs. Before you know it, you are fifty and didn’t get laid a single time. “Okay, go. But consider this offer. When you and your friends are done, you invite all of them home and we can have a nice party so that I can take a look at that boy you are fawning ove-”
“Never!” Her eyes flicker to the neon-sign of the red Eve, her expression horrified. “I would die of shame if they knew where I live!”
“In a big house with an entire floor to yourself?” I am flabbergasted. We vampires fawn over our neophytes. Most of them never have to work unless they want to. They are the breeders and we are the protectors. It never crossed my mind that Angelika’s living quarters are sub-par. Did I miss something regarding this century’s average living conditions? It wouldn’t be the first time.
“Nooo… it’s a brothel!” Angelika huffs.
I play with my hair and push up my breasts to annoy her. I know that she doesn’t like indecent clothes. She’s always so modest and tied-up with her outfit. Not an inch of unnecessary free skin. And god forbid if her figure shows. “I like to think of it as a wellness fare. We get only high-class customers and sell a good time instead of pure sex. Don’t compare our family business to one of those establishments.” And it also pays better.
“Can I go now, grandma? Or is there any point to this discussion?” She straightens herself and I can tell that she is preparing to leave.
“If you are really so adamant about it, then I won’t be in your way.” Resigning to fate, I sigh and hold out a pack of condoms. “Take these at least. One never knows if those kosher friends of yours might not make some advances after all. I want you to be prepared, if that’s your wish.”
She snorts and stalks away towards the bus stop since the library is in the city centre. That’s just a ten minute drive. “I bet you poked all of them with a needle!”
I click my tongue as Angelika’s guardian floats closer, staying in the shadows. How did she know? I opened them with a Stanley knife and glued the packages back together carefully. There was no way for her to notice it. “Follow her and see to it that she is safe. And drop some blue pills into the boy’s drink.” I drop the condoms into a nearby trash-bin. If I can be sure about one thing, then it’s about the actions of a youth with a boner.
The shadow nods and hurries down the street, following the bus. I stay at my post, guarding the nest.
It takes several minutes until something new happens. Two females enter the parking area, which isn’t a surprise since we cater to both genders. The surprising aspect about those two is that I don’t know them, and I know each and every one of our regulars. Additionally, one of them looks much too young. There are certain restrictions in this day and age, which doesn’t mean that I approve of them.
The older one of the two has raven-black hair and looks as if she is in her twenties. The even face with the red lips looks a little tired. Her build rivals even mine, which awakens the wish to seduce her. I am no prude and a beautiful woman is just as good as a strong man.
The girl next to her is fifteen, maybe sixteen? Her hair isn’t as dark and edges more to the brunette side, but by comparing their faces I can tell that they are related.
I narrow my eyes, studying them further. They are approaching localities of questionable status, yet the steps of the older woman are firm and secure. The girl may seem insecure, but her movements are calculated, as she makes sure that the woman is always between me and her.
“Are you Eva?” The woman addresses me from a few feet away.
I smile. “In the flesh. How can I help you?”
“We were told that you can provide a safe place?” The woman asks. A car turns around the corner, bathing us in light. Her head flicks towards the vehicle which passes my establishment and continues down the street. That’s what gives her away.
The movement wasn’t entirely human. Oh, of course. No human would have noticed the difference. But I already had a lot of time to learn the subtleties of other supernaturals. Among all of the supernatural races, the Old Ones have the hardest time at hiding their nature. I have the theory that it’s because their human bodies are just a disguise. They wear their bodies like cloth.
They breathe slower than humans and move more like snakes when they think that they are unwatched. Sometimes they forget to move at all when they are thinking about something. They stand absolutely still, weighing their options. No other race could do that. There is always something that moves, just because humans constantly breathe.
“Of course I can. All I need is some method of identification and sufficient compensation for my efforts.” I slide a little further on my bench so that it’s easier to jump up in case of an attack. The presence of these two spells misfortune. I am not sure what’s going on between the lord and other members of his race. In the eighty years since the rest of his clan vanished, he never allowed anyone else of his race inside his territory.
It’s normal for each clan of Old Ones to shield their territory with a Veil. This energy shield tells them when one of their kind violates their territory and it ignores other races. Though from the lord’s words I assume that he could seal off the entire territory if he wanted to. I’ve heard that the various clans often have fights with each other, but this area was mostly left in peace for some reason.
The woman reaches into the purse at her side and pulls out a fat stash of hundreds, then she throws it onto my lap. “We can compensate you, but you don’t get to ask questions.”
I keep the smile plastered to my face and look at the money, then at her. “It seems that you don’t understand. This isn’t about money, this about who you are.” She stops moving and the girl takes a step back. Oh, this isn’t good. “Before you do anything, you may want to take my side into account? And there are others here, so you won’t get away unscathed if you attack me.”
Her eyes search the windows of my establishment and then the shadows. “Speak.”
“Our lord, the Old One who owns this territory, has a very nasty personality. He tends to punish people by killing their relatives first. There is this 'punish one by punishing them all' theme going on. I have a good relationship with him and I don’t want to risk that by aiding you two. But I also don’t want you as enemies.” I would rather have no Old Ones as enemies. Not a single one.
“I can give you shelter, but I also have to inform him at the same time. And we have to tell him that you were here. You have to forgive me, but I have no idea what’s going on between you Old Ones. And I would rather not get involved if you clash with each other.”
The woman studies me, her eyes wandering over my body. And only her eyes. The girl is a little less creepy in the way she keeps a lookout on the street.
“How long will it take until he reacts?” She asks in the end.
“I don’t know? Though he rarely checks his emails. I am pretty sure that you have until tomorrow.” Actually I am not sure at all. He was quite edgy when I last saw him. But it would be cool if he catches one of you. Well, he may not be into the girl, but you are certainly his type. I think he needs a woman. And there you are.
I wisely keep my mouth shut instead of voicing those thoughts aloud.
The girl tugs at the woman’s sleeve. “I am tired.” She looks no less tired than the woman.
The woman looks at the girl and returns her attention to me. “Where do we have to go? I am Sely Hammon and this is my little sister, Annia Hammon.”
I get up from my seat, slipping the cash into a pocket. “Please follow me.”
6. ~Spying~
“A fight with one versus many is not a fair fight, it’s a glorious one.”
A memory of the Old Ones.
Carinthia
I hit the desk in a futile gesture and growl. Expressing my anger feels good, especially since there is nothing I can do about the situation. Why didn’t Eva call me right away? Instead she sends me an email. An email! Who on this world checks his emails every hour? Biting my lower lip, I remember that Paul is the only person who has my number. And that’s only because I have to call him to give orders.
What can I say? I am a private person.
My attention turns to my foot, which I have propped on the sofa to give it some rest. It took longer than expected to heal, especially since I had a complicated fracture. If possible I’ll avoid close contact with rockets in the future.
Even if I had known about Eva’s guests, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything about them. If I face them weakened and injured I might be the one who gets his ass kicked. So paying them a visit right away is out of the question.
What else can I do to avoid wasting any more time?
I get up and hobble through the small apartment. It’s located in the top floor of an apartment building near the lake. I’ve made it my home because of the location and because nobody would expect that I live here. The early sun looks beautiful from the balcony when it comes over the mountains. If the fog billows just right, there is something mystical to the scene. I am just a little miffed about the fact that the humans built a gigantic lookout tower on the mountain. It destroys my view and its form is simply obscene. Whoever designed that thing should be executed.
Upon reaching the weapons’ safe, I open it and study my options. Tetrach Hammon was very helpful once I gave him the right motivation. Apparently the Hammon sisters aren’t agreeing with their clan’s marriage policy. The older one was successfully married off to a British lord. They even cast a bonding-spell on her to make her compliant.
The intention of the spell was to turn her into a docile wife who follows the orders of her husband.
Nobody realized that the she-devil knew about their plans all along. She slipped a few additional commands of her own design into the spell and when her husband tried to seal the deal, she disarmed him. Instead of getting their ally, they got an angry lord without his balls. He ran off without taking his wife with him, so Sely stayed at the main house and was seen as damaged goods from then on.
I myself find such practises heinous since my parents raised me not to do such things. Sadly their ideals didn’t help them in the end.
With our race’s numbers being so low, it’s common to marry the women off to other clans. It’s a widespread practice, though everyone makes his own rules in the end. Because of the created ties between the families, it lessens the possibility of being attacked and at the very least it prevents inbreeding. I guess that’s at least something good about it. Even if my clan hadn’t been wiped out, I would have had to search for a wife among another clan.
The only other choices would have been cousins. I grin. At least that’s no longer an option.
Tetrach revealed that Sely loved her little sister, Annia, and was quite protective of her. Even more so than their own mother, who never dared to stand up to the clan head. So when it was Annia’s turn to be used as a bargaining chip, Sely grabbed her in the middle of the night. They stole some important artefacts by raiding the family vault. Then they fled through half of Europe with a pack of mercs and their own family on their heels.
Once the fae got wind of it, they wanted their own piece of the pie. Two female Old Ones aren’t a bad conquest for their breeding program, though I assume that women who have any knowledge of the fae would rather die than to fall into their hands.
Normally the sisters’ escape would be an almost impossible feat. Every clan has a Veil around their territory. The strength of the Veil depends on the clan, but the fact remains that crossing even the weakest Veil isn’t a pleasant experience. There is a possibility to cross between the Veils of two neighbouring territories as they almost never touch each other. Though it would still mean that someone has to go over hill and dale to get anywhere in Europe.
Most sane Old Ones make one of the big cities their home. So if the person who attempts to flee through highly developed territory like Europe is lucky, then he or she gets to stay in some remote village at most. Not the best place to hide. If a person wants to fall off the grid, then the safest option is to hide inside the biggest, chaotic place he or she can find.
The fact that they are still hiding inside my territory means that they were travelling towards one of the big cities. Maybe Rome? Or they intended to use my territory to jump over to France? Doesn’t sound plausible. Old ones who enter my territory have a reputation of disappearing. That’s why everybody leaves me alone. People go in, but they don’t come out.
So why would they risk entering my territory…
Maybe the mercs had them with their backs to the wall? A lot of the mercs showed up at the same time, so that would be an explanation. They were close behind them and simply followed through the Veil in the heat of the hunt.
And even if Tetrach denied it, his story also answers the question of how the sisters entered my territory without me noticing it. Among the stolen artefacts must have been something that allows them to pass through Veils undetected.
It would explain why their clan is moving heaven and earth to get them back. Not only they themselves are of political value, that artefact is of extreme tactical worth. Up until now I had a lot of trust in the Veil, but I may have to re-evaluate my attitude towards that aspect of the Veil. At least the artefact seems to be a unique item. Otherwise Tetrach and his group would have used one too, instead of charging through my Veil and ringing all alarm bells.
I reach into the safe and choose the same gun I used for the fae. Then I add the longer barrel and a better scope. I am not sure of the situation I’ll face, so sticking to an automatic weapon might not be the worst idea. I like the StG’s concept of consisting of building blocks. I want a small weapon for close combat? Take a short barrel and a large magazine. Feeling more like sniping today? No problem, there are longer barrels and stronger ammunition.
