More Monsters, More Mayhem (Big Easy Bounty Hunter Book 5), page 3
She made her way toward the supply room and froze when she felt a disturbance in the magical field from the rear of the shop. She summoned a shadow blade to her hand and killed the lights with a gesture.
“It’s me, Nicole,” Xavier called. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t skewer me.”
“I should hang a bell around your neck or something,” Nicole scolded. “You know I do not like surprises.”
“Hey, I told you I was coming back tonight. That’s the best I could do.”
Nicole let the blade in her hand dissolve, and the lights came back on with a flick of her wrist. She met Xavier at the door and smiled. “Did you have a successful trip?”
Xavier held up a canvas bag and nodded. “I got everything I went for plus another two kilos of that damned magic-neutralizing ore Matt insists on fooling with. He’s going to screw up someday and lose his ability to use magic if he keeps on.”
“Matt’s a big boy and knows the risks. He’s determined to get those bullets right if it kills him.”
“It might if he isn’t careful.” Xavier grimaced.
“After meeting Julien, I understand why he does it. The mundane police need something to level the field when encountering a rogue magic user. Once he figures it out, it will make them think twice before they try using magic on the police.”
“That’s the only reason I keep getting it for him. It scares me to carry it even though I know the container is triple-sealed. I can’t imagine intentionally opening the damned thing, though.”
Nicole pursed her lips while deciding how best to broach the subject she’d thought of over the past week. She shook her head as she discarded several openings until Xavier noticed.
“What’s on your mind? I haven’t seen you look like that since you told me who you are.”
She bit her lower lip. “What’s wrong with Natalia?”
“What do you mean?” Suspicion laced Xavier's tone.
“She was supposed to call me after they took down the Kilomea. I know she’s sick, and Marie and Celeste called you for some rare and potent Oriceran herbs. I’ve tried calling her twice, and both times, Matt answered her phone. He claimed she was resting, but I know there’s more to it than that.”
Xavier glanced to the side. “She used too much magic and—”
Nicole held out a hand. “Do not lie to me, Xavier.”
“I’m, uh, Nicole…” Xavier stammered.
“I was there when she fought the wizard. I saw what she did, and that spell is well within her abilities.”
Xavier’s forehead creased as he considered how to answer. Granted, Nicole was part of the community now, but he was hesitant to answer.
“Why are you so curious?”
“Natalia welcomed me and treated me as a friend from the start, even knowing what I am. For that, I am grateful, and if what I suspect is happening to her, I might be able to help.”
“What do you think it is?”
Nicole shook her head. “Tell me what you think it is first. Some secrets are too dangerous.”
“It’s not my secret to tell. I take it you’ve seen something similar, though.”
“Possibly.”
Xavier crossed his arms and muttered, “You’re infuriating at times.
“I am drow.”
“A fact I realize more each day.” Xavier snorted.
“If it is not for you to say, call Matt and obtain his permission.”
“Matt’s in no shape to make decisions now.”
They stood looking at each other across the shop for several moments, neither intending to give an inch until Xavier looked at the bag in his hand.
“One of the items I was on Oriceran for is something Marie wanted. I need to get it to her soon, and you can come along if you want. She might agree to tell you. That’s the best I can do.”
“That is acceptable.”
“I can’t guarantee that she will tell you anything.”
“If she won’t, I’ll drop the subject until Natalia is better.”
Nicole started tidying a display, and Xavier held up a hand. “Don’t worry about that now. Marie wanted this stuff yesterday.”
Nicole cocked her head. “I suppose I can come back later and finish this.”
“I’ll close the shop and do it tomorrow. It’s Monday, and if it’s like the past few years, there won’t be many customers. Hex Fest ended today, and the magicals are already gone. A few lost sales won’t make much difference. I saw how many of the real supplies are gone. It was a good week.”
“Very well.”
Xavier pulled out his phone. “Give me a minute to let Marie know we’re coming.”
He thumbed the phone. “Tante Marie, I have the white needle root and will open a portal in the back garden in five minutes if that’s acceptable.”
He paused for a beat, then added, “Nicole wishes to speak to you if that’s okay.”
He ended the call and nodded. “She said come now.”
He shuffled the phone and bag while reaching for his wand. Seconds later, a portal opened showing a well-manicured lawn and a solitary figure on its hands and knees meticulously trimming each blade of grass with a small pair of scissors.
“Looks like Marcus pissed her off again.” Xavier chuckled as he motioned Nicole through.
“He’s lucky Marie is merciful.”
Xavier looked at her askance. “How is being turned into a living zombie merciful?”
“His organs are on the inside, and he doesn’t appear to be in agony.”
Xavier opened his mouth to ask a question, then thought better of it. Some things he could live without knowing.
CHAPTER SIX
Winston cautiously hurried through the portal into an open area between two sets of bleachers with his wand held ready along his leg. As the portal snapped closed, he moved back and to the right of where he’d exited. He had used this contact several times before but never assumed anything when dealing with another dark wizard.
Winston grimaced in disgust when the odor of gasoline and other petroleum chemicals assailed his nostrils. He hesitated, considering using a light spell to illuminate the area around him, and decided against it, not wanting to give his position away in case it was a trap. He froze when a shape stepped out of the shadows at the end of the bleachers. Without thinking, Winston raised his wand with a fireball forming at the tip.
“It’s me, Mister Blackwell. Fire in this area isn’t a good idea,” a nervous-sounding man called as a small flashlight illuminated his face.
Winston slowly lowered his wand and glared at the man. “Geoffrey, startling me is a good way to end our relationship permanently.”
The man gulped and held both hands out in a placating gesture. “I’m sorry, Councilman. I didn’t mean to do that, but there’s enough flammable stuff spilled around here to burn everything to the ground.”
“See that you never do it again, and you won’t have to worry about getting burned,” Winston sneered.
“Yes, sir.”
“What is this place, and what is that stench?” Winston looked around, attempting to pierce the darkness.
The wizard’s forehead creased in confusion. “What stench?”
Winston walked toward him and gestured, indicating their surroundings. “That foul chemical odor.”
Geoffrey pursed his lips and sniffed deeply. “Oh, gasoline and old motor oil. This place is where the local mundanes come to risk their lives racing automobiles. I don’t understand it, but this place is packed with ignorant creatures every weekend. I’ve never figured out if they come to support a racer or for the bloody wrecks. They cheer equally for both.”
“Next time, pick somewhere that lacks the reek of petroleum products and mundane despair.”
“Certainly, sir. I only picked this place because it was the first one I thought of after you said you wanted to meet where there was no chance of anyone seeing us. I figured a racetrack in the middle of the week in an insignificant, mundane-infested town was the last place anyone would expect to find you.”
Winston smiled at the wizard’s subservient demeanor. He relished the fact that he could intimidate the man with such ease.
“I have a job for you,” Winston began without preamble. “Do you still work with that dwarf, Halfwit, or whatever his name is? I think his skills will be useful for the task.”
“Halaeg. I can get him. I assume the job requires covert entry into a protected area.” Geoffrey barely hid the grin that threatened. The price increased significantly if the target required digging to breach a fortified area.
“A heavily warded home. The grounds and house have many layers of wards. Some serve as alarms and warnings, but others are deadly.”
Geoffrey smiled as he doubled the price he’d initially decided.
“It will be expensive to get Halaeg to agree to this after the last fortified position you had us hit.”
“I don’t care what it costs. Get it done,” Winston snapped.
“What’s the catch?”
Winston smiled. “No catch. It's an in-and-out snatch-and-grab job.”
Geoffrey shook his head. “If it were that easy, you wouldn’t have called. Where’s the target?”
“New Orleans.”
Geoffrey blanched and shook his head vigorously. “No, nope, no can do. The last time I went there, I barely escaped with my life. The magic community there is nuts, and that Laveau woman is even worse.”
Winston’s eyes narrowed. “Geoffrey, if you want to continue to benefit from our relationship, I suggest you reconsider.”
“Councilman Blackwell, Laveau made it painfully clear what would happen if I set foot in her town again,” Geoffrey whined.
“You best be concerned with what I’ll do if you refuse. Need I remind you why no wizard or witch will work with you now?”
“Uh, no, sir?”
“I didn’t think so.” Winston smirked.
“How soon do you need it done?”
“Last week if I had my way. Unfortunately, I need a few days to clear up some things before I’m ready to move. It will take me four days to a week to prepare everything. I need you in New Orleans and ready to conduct the assault in five days.”
Geoffrey thought for a few beats. “I’ll need five days to finish my current contract. Then I’ll need to see what we're facing and read Halaeg in on the job.”
Winston’s lips turned down. “Unacceptable. I need you close and ready when it's time to strike.”
Geoffrey shook his head and sighed. “I’m sorry, Councilman, but I’ve already committed to this project. If I back out now, everything done to this point is lost. Given my past, I can’t let that happen. Wizards and witches not working with me is nothing compared to what doing that will do to my reputation.”
“Reputation,” Winston scoffed. “You drank that into the gutter years ago,”
“I know, but I regained some credibility after I climbed out of the bottle. It’s a delicate thing, and I can’t risk anyone claiming I’m unreliable again.”
Winston considered ending the impetuous drunkard's life but decided on a different track. Knowing that Geoffrey had managed to get his entire team killed when he passed out drunk and failed to fulfill his part of a job made Winston want to test the man’s dedication. His response would determine whether Geoffrey lived to do another job.
“Cancel it.”
The wizard gulped and took an involuntary step back from the venom Winston put into the statement. “I’m sorry, sir. Others are relying on me, and we’ve been working on this for over a month. I can’t drop out now.”
Winston scowled and raised his hand, making the wizard blanch. He stared for several seconds, then dropped his hand.
“Contact me by the usual method when you’re done. We can meet, and I’ll give you the details then. That is if I haven’t given it to someone else.”
“I’ll understand if you do. I’ll contact you as soon as I’m able.”
“Wednesday at the latest.”
“Yes, sir.”
Winston waved his wand and a portal popped open. As he passed through, he called over his shoulder, “Pick a better place for the next meeting, and do not disappoint me. You will not enjoy the outcome if you do.”
When the portal snapped closed, Geoffrey sagged against a bleacher seat. He drew several deep breaths as his heart hammered a frantic rhythm. It took him three tries to open a portal and leave.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Greymont House, Lexington, Kentucky
“Marian, I believe I’ve located that person you wanted,” Alice announced, her voice tinged with worry.
Marian raised her brows and motioned for her aide and confidant to continue.
“I found a contact on the dark net and have exchanged a few messages with whoever’s on the other end. They’re willing to meet but refuse to commit to a set location or time.”
“Are you certain this is the right person? The last thing I need is to waste time with a fraud. If the wrong people find out I’m seeking these services, it could start problems I’m not ready to deal with yet.”
“If it isn’t, they are well informed. I asked for details about the incident that brought them to our attention, and they knew things that were not in the official report.”
“What?”
“Which body part was removed and where it was found for one. The other was what was done to the tramp’s face Owen was playing house with.”
Marian’s lips curled up in a slow smile. “How do they want to meet?”
Alice shook her head. “That’s the problem. They said they’d contact us at a time and place of their choosing. What was most unsettling is they knew who I was and our location.”
Marian frowned. “How did that happen? I pay you and those overpriced techno-wizards you swear by to ensure things like that do not happen.”
“I don’t know. I used a supposedly untraceable email service and routed the traffic through several servers in and out of the country before it reached them. That method has worked flawlessly in the past and tracing me should be impossible.”
“This person is more dangerous than I thought. Have additional muscle on standby for the meeting. If this is a setup, we’ll eliminate them before they can betray us.”
Alice nodded, then continued. “I’m concerned by the lack of information I’ve found about this person. No one I’ve talked to can tell me anything about them other than they are obscenely expensive and the best at what they do.”
“That fits with what Imelda told me of her dealings with them. She only met them once, and they concealed their identity. All other interactions were handled through a phone they provided at the meeting.”
“Marian, are you sure this is a good idea? If Winston—”
“Winston Blackwell doesn’t have any say in this. We wouldn’t be in this mess if he lived up to his hype. His lack of action is what’s pushed us to this point. I’m through waiting,” Marian snapped.
“I understand, ma’am. I didn’t mean you were wrong to follow this path. I’m concerned about what he will do if he discovers you defied his orders.”
“We’re being careful so he doesn’t find out until after we hire this person. After that, if he poses a problem, he won’t be the first man who died interfering with my plans. I’m on the council now. If he were to meet with a tragic accident those other fools would know not to cross me.”
Alice nodded. “I’ll do what I can to ensure you’re protected.”
“I know you will. You’re the only one I trust now that Chauncey's disappeared.”
“You can trust Steven. He hates Winston and is too afraid to turn on you.”
“Steven is my last surviving child. I don’t want him involved in this.”
“I understand, but don’t discount him as an asset. He’s stayed out of the drama and has contacts outside the dark families that could prove useful.”
“I’ll consider your advice, but Steven doesn’t have the stomach to make the hard choices. He’s more like his father than I care to admit. That’s the reason he knows so many on the other side.”
“If you say so. I think he might surprise you if given the chance. I’ve seen how he looks at Winston when he thinks no one is watching. Steven has a dangerous side. He hides it better than most.”
Marian pursed her lips as she considered Alice’s assessment. “If this venture moves forward, I’ll consider bringing Steven in. Until this person contacts us for a meeting, the fewer who know, the better.”
“Agreed. I’ll keep digging for more information about them. Somebody out there knows something, and I don’t like mysteries.”
“Do what you can. That’s what I pay you for.” Marian’s phone rang, and she frowned when she saw who was calling. “I need to take this. Keep your search for this person quiet. I don’t want them thinking we’re a threat.”
“I’ll handle it,” Alice assured her as she headed out the door.
Marian picked the phone up, drew a deep breath, and answered, “Winston, darling. I hope you’re calling to tell me you’re on your way home.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Marigny Area, New Orleans, Louisiana
“Dammit! I thought that guy on TV said they’d stopped this shit!” Wyatt griped as he fired potion balls into two growling tweakers rolling around the bar floor.
“Gonna take a while for the supply to dry up here. Assholes flooded the streets during the week leading up to that blowout in the park,” Hebert replied as he dropped another drug-addled zombie with a shot to the arm.
“Why da hell can’t these hipster tourists get bombed on Hurricanes and Hand Grenades like normal folks? Why they gotta screw around with drugs they don’t know nothin’ about and make me have to pull overtime keepin’ ’em from killin' themselves? It just ain’t fair,” Maxwell grumbled as he fired a shot at a willow-thin blonde trying to get to the DJ inside his chicken wire enclosure near the narrow stage.
