Nimravid (The MacFade Chronicles Book 1) Page 18

  Svetlana glared murderously at him, then me and stormed out. That was going to be a long ride home. Kolann smiled and shrugged helplessly. “Do we have $4000? Going once? Going twice? Sold to bidder #87 for the price of $3500! Congratulations sir, on your purchase of… this lovely piece of artisanship.” Nice save, jerk!

  “NOW are you going to tell me what that was all about?” Claire asked looking impatient. “Oh come now. You don’t want to spoil the surprise for your birthday, do you?” She reached over and pinched the skin on the back of my elbow so hard it knocked the wind out of me. “Ow! Ow! Ow!” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Are you going to tell me?” I took a deep breath to ward off the pain. “No.” She twisted the already pinched skin. Hot stinging agony shot up my arm and into my neck. She got the nerve. I taught her that trick! “OK, OK, OK! Leave off…” I groaned trying not to laugh. She let go of the smarting arm and I rubbed at it furiously. Kolann walked over to us and gave me a rueful smile. “I truly hope that was worth it, Mack. It seems like you and I both have a stormy night ahead of us.” He put his coat over his arm and walked out into the Great Hall. Claire gave me a hard look. “Well?”

  “Well what?”

  “I swear to God, Mack if you don’t…”

  “I’m not positive but I think it may be a missing piece of the armor.”

  Claire’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.”

  “What are the odds that we would just happen to be at an auction selling something like that?”

  “Don’t know, don’t care. I shouldn’t have to have paid anything for the blasted thing to begin with. It’s mine by right.”

  “Write the check Mack, both of them.” There was an implied threat in her voice. “I will, I will, no need for violence, Babe.” She was starting to scare me and that’s saying something. Claire had several glasses of Champagne that night and she’s a MEAN drunk.

  We walked into the Great Hall to find Kolann with Svetlana by the arm and it looked like it had been quite a ro. The quiet kind, the rich and petulant have in public. We waited until the conversation was concluded, looking like a stalemate to me, but I don’t really know their relationship dynamic. I walked up and politely cleared my throat. Svetlana looked up from her floor gazing. “What do YOU want?” She literally radiated malice. Claire started to take offense but I gave her hand a warning squeeze. “Love you, too, Svetlana, Kolann?”

  “Yes, Mack?” I handed him the check. I was proud of myself. I only had the smallest amount of difficulty unclenching my fingers, with Claire’s help and a reproving look. “Oh, thank you! To be honest I was going to let you off the hook because of how much you paid for that, that. What was that?” I straightened my posture to look dignified, like I knew something no one else did. Well…“A Japanese ceremonial presentation chest, quite a rare find in fact and since you were already planning on it… I reached out to take the check back. Claire slapped my hand. Svetlana sniffed, “Good to see another woman in this flock of hens who knows how to handle her man.” I let out a low growl. Svetlana returned it with a cat like hiss.

  Kolann gave Svetlana and me the hairy eyeball. “That’ll be quite enough out of BOTH of you.” Claire took Kolann’s arm. “I agree. We are here to enjoy ourselves, not bicker like school children. Or whatever the two of you are. Would you like to dance, Mr. Rayner?” Claire gave me a dark look; I reckoned I may have embarrassed her after all. “I would love to, Ms. Barnes.” Kolann handed me his coat, like I was the cabana boy and they started to walk away. I had to manually close my mouth before someone tripped over my jaw.

  “Oi!” I piped up. They stopped and looked back. “Watch him Claire, he bites.” Kolann gave me a wry smile. Claire’s smile was more mischievous. I was jealous and she thought that was so cute. “That’s alright, Mack, as you know, so do I.” They took the dance floor as Svetlana sniffed and tossed her hair. “He bites? That was droll.”

  “And yet, still funny.” I turned on my heel and made my way to the cashier, to claim my purchase. I paid with minimal effort and they turned over the chest lightly wrapped in some sort of cloth. I jogged outside to lock it up in my vehicle. No point to trying to open it here. I had no idea how much power would be required and what would happen afterward.

  When I returned to the museum, all Hell had broken loose. There was a mob of reporters and news vans on the front steps of the museum. Microphones, cameras and various digital recorders were all pointed at the Mayor and his deputy. As I got closer, I could hear the conversation. Someone had leaked the story about the murdered cops. The families had held an impromptu press conference earlier tonight and were demanding answers and accusing the Mayor’s office of a cover up. Reporters had Claire, the Mayor, Chief Martin and the Chief of Police bottled up in a semicircle. “Shit! Shit! Shit!”

  One female reporter pushed her way to the front, Karen Richardson; I had dealt with her before. She was asking most of the questions. “What about the rumor that the department has hired local street tough Dalton Walker, to help out with the stalled investigation?” Local street tough, indeed! “No comment Ms. Richardson” the Chief grunted.

  “Dalton Walker has been linked to Mr. Smith, the mercenary rumored to have stopped Mathew Previtt, any comment on that Chief?” Hold up a tic! No one has ever officially made that connection! I needed to create a diversion and re-route this train wreck, fast. I Slipped up next to Claire, causing her to jump a little when I materialized, but she knew it was me. I kept low and whispered up to her. “Get ready to get the Mayor out of here. I’m going to try something.” I Sensed a sudden intense concern coming from her. “I’m not going to hurt anyone.” Why is that everyone’s first assumption about me? It’s damn right insulting!

  I Slipped out into the parking lot and started raising a commotion like I had just seen a horrific car wreck. “How much do you want to put into this, Alex?”

  “Whatever works, Mai.” The telepathic suggestion we sent out snared the reporter’s attention and pulled them all towards me, breaking en-mass. I looked up to Claire, to see she was already in action, herding the Mayor and his people down the opposite stairs and packing them into vehicles. Kolann and Svetlana were right behind them. When she finished she turned and waved. I promptly did a mind and electronic device wipe on the crowd. There was no point in dragging it out.

  Nobody would remember a thing. Most of them started to head back to the museum. Some of them were questioning each other to no avail, trying to figure out why they had come to the museum to begin with. Now to deal with Karen…She was slinking her way back to her car. She slinks VERY well. Her bum is a true work of art, almost hypnotic to behold. Which reminds me, I keep wanting to take up yoga. I Shrouded myself and kept pace until I spotted her vehicle. I walked up behind her as she was bent over putting her camera equipment into the trunk. The view was to die for. “Focus, Alex!”

  “I am, quit distracting me.”

  “I’m not the one distracting you.”

  As she was finishing up, I noticed her looking around. Speed winding her camera, she removed the sealed roll of film, dropping it in her jacket pocket instead of storing it in the bag with the rest. It’s an old trick, if confronted, an assailant will go for the camera first and then the bag. I Slipped up behind her, picked her pocket and then Slipped to the concealing shadows of the local trees. She stopped moving, when I stopped blocking her sixth sense. “You’re here aren’t you, Mack?” I stepped forward, eye’s blazing, my voice, cold and harsh. “Yes, I am. Who tipped you off?” She shuddered under the power of my mind probe and refused to make eye contact; the reaction was primal and I had seen it before, a programmed response. I grabbed her and forced her to look me in the eye. The flash was immediate and all I needed to know. “That vindictive little bitch!” Svetlana tipped her off. I could hear her voice and watched in first person as she enthralled Karen and instructed her what to do.

  Karen staggered back, wild eyed, “Mack, what just happened?” Claire walked up behi
nd her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Karen, you know better than to ask questions like that. Go home while the getting is good. I’ll handle him.”

  “Handle me indeed, as if anyone were capable…” I growled through barely contained anger. Karen edged around me, clearly scared. “I’m sorry, Mack.” Her voice was barely a whisper. The frightened look in her eye softened my rage, slightly. “Not your fault, Karen, just go home. I’ll try to sort this out with you later,” I said, trying express compassion I wasn’t really feeling. Choosing to be Svetlana’s thrall? What in the bloody Hell was she thinking? Karen slid into her car and quickly drove away, leaving Claire, to HANDLE me.

  “What did you see, Mack?” I gave a grape fruit sized rock a solid kick, flying up, it dashed itself to pieces against a retaining wall. “She was enthralled, didn’t know what she was doing.” Claire nodded. “What did you mean by vindictive little bitch?” I sighed. “I reckon you’re in the thick of it by now, so you might as well know. The vampires I was dealing with last night—were the Rayners, Svetlana called in the tip.” Claire gasped and put her hand over her mouth. “Are you sure?” I gave her an expression of impatience tempered with exasperation. “Sorry, of course you are. You spent several hours with them wondering who was going to try to kill whom first. That’s got to leave a rather lasting impression.”

  “You think?” I was a little more sarcastic than I meant to be. Thankfully she ignored it. “So why do this?” I cracked my neck and knuckles as I headed back to the Hummer. “I don’t know. What I DO know is she and a couple members of their local ruling body were not in favor of allowing me to continue breathing. The other reason was to openly link me to Mr. Smith.”

  “What’s the point of that?”

  “To slow me down, keeps the cops and the press watching me. Once that story broke I’d have a media circus camped out on my lawn.” I smiled slyly. “Not that it would make a difference, but whomever Svetlana is working with, obviously doesn’t know that.” Claire eyed me speculatively. “What are you going to do?” I morphed the walking stick into the Katana and gave it a few practice swings, as Claire stepped by and rolled her eyes. “I’m going over to Town and Country, maybe burn the Rayner mansion to the ground.”

  “Cool off! You don’t want to do anything rash.”

  Claire crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow, standing directly in front of me. “You can’t do that.” I swung the sword up and into a rest position in the crook of my right arm. “Oh, I’m fairly sure I can. I know I shouldn’t, but that doesn’t stop me from REALLY wanting to. I’ll handle it. Go home, Babe, I’ve got to address this tonight.” Claire walked to me and took my face in her hands. This has always had an uncanny calming effect on me, no matter how riled up. She never fights fair! Bloody females! “Are you calmed down enough to be rational about this?” I inhaled deeply and drank in her scent. Some of the anger drifted away like a soft summer breeze. “Yes, I am. I’ll limit my response to property damage, mostly.” I gave her a wink and a soft kiss. “I've got to go.” She held on to my face and looked me in the eye. “Don’t do anything impetuous?” I reached up and took her hands. “I won’t.” Impetuous of course, is a very subjective term, open to all sorts of interpretation.

  Chapter 17

  The Rayner place wasn’t difficult to find. One of those old estates, the type that has a tree lined drive for a hundred yards before the big reveal of the house, pretention personified. I pulled up to the gate and pushed the buzzer. The intercom crackled and a neutral male voice issued from it. “Yes? State your name and the nature of your business.” Seriously, I’ve been here all of eight seconds and someone’s got a pickle up their ass? “The name is Dalton Walker. My business is with Kolann and of an extremely personal nature.” The intercom crackled again, the neutral voice turned hostile. “Mistress Rayner has left strict orders that she and Master Rayner are not to be disturbed. I’m sorry but you’ll have to make an appointment and come back later.” Now there’s a shocker…here we go again. I took a deep breath in an attempt to gather up what little patience I had left. “I’m not coming back, and I will be seeing him tonight. Tell him it’s Dalton Walker.” There was silence on the other end of the line. “Alex! Four hostiles, coming in hot!”

  My Sight showed four big vamps headed straight for me and I was a sitting duck in the Hummer. I reached for the door handle to dive out and Mai stopped me. “Alex don’t!” She actually attempted to physically restrain me. “What?”

  “Several seriously powerful wards just powered up, two fire and two lightning. If you get out now at least one of them is bound to get you.”

  “What if I Slip out?” Mai sounded exasperated, “No good, as soon as they no longer sense your mass inside the vehicle they’ll fire continuously at the space you occupied. I suppose it’s a viable plan, if you don’t mind replacing the Hummer.”

  “To Hell with that! Do you have any idea how much that would cost?” I felt Mai extend my Senses. “The wards are old but the targeting has been updated recently, set to you specifically.”

  “How inconvenient, someone knew I would be coming at the Rayners tonight. I wonder who that could have been?”

  The four vamps arrived at the gate simultaneously. Two by ground and two by air—the two aerial vamps landed on either side of the gate’s split with the two grounders skidding to a stop coming in from each side. Their choreography was excellent but the degree of difficulty was low, I gave it a 7.2. They were all perfectly spaced an arm’s length apart, heavily armed, including swords and AA-12 automatic shotguns. These little beautys can do 300 rounds a minute with anything from shot guns shells to miniature fragmentary missiles. They were all Elite Guard.

  “So, is this my escort up to the house, I take it?”

  “Not a snow ball’s chance in Hell, Alex.”

  “It never hurts to ask, Mai.”

  “These men are your escort into the afterlife if you do not vacate the premises.” Oi! Now we are playing hardball. I did my best to look bored for the camera. “And you’re sure you’re not going to anger master Kolann, if you summarily dismiss me like this?”

  “Quite sure, Mr. Walker, my orders come from Svetlana.” Svetlana? What happened to Mistress Rayner? I thought I recognized the voice even through all the tinny speaker sound. It was time to change tactics. “Is that you, Reggie? You cheeky little monkey!”

  “My NAME is REGINALD! Do you require me to spell it for you? Clearly you’re mentally defective in some way, unable to grasp the simplest of concepts. GO AWAY!”

  “Watch the birth defect humor, REGINALD or you might OFFEND me!” I said in a stony voice. “He takes great pride in being prim and proper. That should do it. Good call, Alex.” Reggie sputtered a little. “Mr. Walker, I assure you I was in no way referring to your UNIQUE appearance. I was merely protesting your repeated insistence of using blatant familiarity. Nicknames are a privilege. You and I are not that well acquainted.”

  “What a stuffy little brat!” I threw him off his game though, which gave me the upper hand, so I decided to press my advantage. “Well, Reginald, we can fix that any time you like. Just give me a call. I’ll take you and ARCHIBALD out for pizza and beer. You like the Cardinals? I’ve got box seats.” Complete and utter silence, got him! “Uh… That is quite a generous offer, Mr. Walker.”

  “It’s Mack.”

  “Mack… I’ll run it past my brother.” A distant voice in the background piped up. “I’m in!” I recognized it immediately. “Oi! Archie, how’s it going?” A second later I could hear some sort of struggle occurring on the other end of the line. “Shut up you idiot! Don’t talk to him! Mother said—" I heard a disgusted exhalation. “She isn’t our mother and don’t call me an idiot in front of guests or I’ll kick your ass!” There was more struggle for what sounded like a microphone. “He isn’t a guest! I’m sending him away!” This was getting me nowhere fast. “Guys, just put your dad on the line. He’s going to want to hear what I have to say.” The sound of more stru
ggle and then, “I’m sorry, Mr. Walker, but that is just not possible.”

  “You’re such a douche bag!” Archie’s voice sounded from the distant background again. I could hear the hollow airy sound of a hand covering the receiver. “Be quiet or leave!” The hand moved and Reggie inhaled to speak again but wasn’t quite fast enough. Archie’s voice spoke over him from the background. “Yes, Daddy, Don’t spank me.” Classic! I had to stifle a laugh. The others in the room with him didn’t fare so well. I could hear the sniggers from at least three other guys and one of the Elite guard in front of me. I spoke into the speaker box before Reggie could resume his “be gone foul beast” speech. “So what are we playing? Stud or Texas hold-em?” The troops in front of me started exchanging glances. They were no longer sure what their role was, in this encounter.

  “Texas hold-em,” came Archie’s voice now directly into the speaker. “Want me to deal you in?” Reggie’s voice sounded from the background this time. “You’ll do no such thing! Mother put me in charge and I say he’s leaving!” Archie ignored him. “Can you believe this guy, Mack? Mother put me in charge. Mother put me in charge. Look at me, I can go potty all by myself.” Archie’s voice came from the background again (the phone had been wrenched from his grip) along with an uproar of laughter including all four vampires in front of me, but to a much lesser extent. They were clearly conflicted now, things were starting to go my way. Archie and Reggie must have had some significant role in the clan hierarchy and the two of them bickering over whether or not to let me talk to Kolann was confusing the rest. Guards are big, strong and fast but not always terribly bright. What they lack in intelligence they make up for in loyalty and perseverance.