Nimravid (The MacFade Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  “You must not have noticed but there was a camera set up on one of the upper decks. To record his masterpiece or something, he did far worse to the LeBlanc girl than any of the others. It recorded everything he did and everything that happened afterward up to the point where the camera lenses shattered after some huge ass power surge. The techs still haven’t identified it yet. I didn’t see you burn her but I figured it had to be you. ” He held up an SD card. “This is the only copy. The LeBlanc’s never need to see this.”

  “Truth”

  “We don’t need it, with everything at his apartment we can slap him with ten consecutive life sentences. That wheelchair ain’t gonna help him a lick. The low life will never see the light of day again. Take it. Watch it if you’re curious. I don’t recommend it, but I know you’re not used to seeing yourself on camera so it might be a new experience all around.” I popped the knuckles of one hand. “Get on with it.” He held up his hands in a pacifying gesture. “I don’t understand half the shit you did on that video. Best if I don’t. I ain’t gonna put it in a report either. They would bounce me out on a Section 8. I understand why you burned the body. Nobody should ever have to remember their kid fucked up like that.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Good old fashioned guilt, Walker. What happened to that girl shook me to the core and it could have been prevented. You deserve respect, for catching that guy. We might never have done it. He was one smart son-of-a-bitch and it’s our fault the LeBlanc kid is dead. Here, get rid of it.” I accepted the disk. “Thank you.” Decker smiled and nodded. “This changes nothing, I ain’t you’re friend, still think you’re dirty and one day I’m gonna get ya. Just not today.” I could appreciate that.

  “You still haven’t said why you were following me, couldn’t have been just to give me this.” I held up the disk. “This just saves your ass for the time being. Now spill it. I haven’t got all night.” Decker’s hands came up again. “I didn’t know it was you I was following until I ran your license plates. I was supposed to get pictures of Mr. Smith if he showed and tail him. I saw the song and dance at the museum by the way. Not bad. Don’t quit your day job.” I gave him a flat look to keep him on subject. “Anyway, as I said, I thought I was tailing Mr. Smith. I was, wasn’t I?” Poker face again, he gave up. “I thought so. I’ve had a hunch Mr. Smith was connected to these missing cops all along, so did the Chief. We had no idea it was the infamous Dalton Walker. But now that we know you’re connected, we’ll be watching.”

  “Oh? You know it, do you?”

  “Oh yeah, it’s obvious. The girl’s body was burned just like the cops’ were, down to nothing. I’d say that’s rather incriminating, wouldn’t you?”

  “Not at all, I’d say that’s typical cop ignorance.”

  “How’s that?”

  “You’re assuming I am the only one in the city who knows how to do that. There are several.”

  “Who?”

  “I’ve got my list.” I tapped my right temple. “As I am also hunting this killer, I choose not to share this information and allow you guys to fuck it up…again. Stay out of my way Decker and the killer will be caught. Get in my way and I’ll send you back to Zawadski in an ambulance. You savvy, detective?” Decker grunted and shook his head. “Whatever you say, tough guy, it’s you’re night. What’s you’re connection to the Rayners?” Alright, one can of worms coming right up. “Oh, please DO investigate that. Let me know when you start. In a couple of days I’ll send flowers to your funeral. While you’re briefing Zawadski on this little conversation be sure to ask him why he’s telling department secrets, to Svetlana Rayner while you’re at it. Get back to me with his answer as I’m sure it’ll be very creative.” Decker’s eyes narrowed. “You sure you know what you’re talking about?” I stared at him with an expression of purest intensity. “Have you ever known me to speak without knowing the facts?” Decker thought for a few seconds. “Come to think of it, this is most I’ve ever heard you say in the five years we have been doing this dance.” I shrugged. “I got this from the horse’s mouth, as you yanks say.” Screw him! Let him figure out which mouth I’m talking about. “Not feeling so smug anymore are we? Cheers, Decker. Don’t let me catch you tailing me again. I’m working on behalf of your brothers in arms. You don’t have to respect me. One day you might, but in the meantime respect the badge and spirit of what I am trying to do.”

  He actually considered it for a few seconds. “You’re trying to do the job of the police, Walker; it’s not your place,” he called to me as I walked back to my vehicle. “Funny thing,” I called back. “Some would say Mr. Smith was doing the same thing with Matthew Previtt, go figure. What I would be asking myself if I were you is, why is the Chief of Police trying to hamper my efforts?” Not waiting for a response, I climbed into my truck and drove away.

  “What did that accomplish?”

  “Two things. He didn’t even blink when I mentioned Zawadski, which tells us the chief is definitely involved somehow and second, we learned that Decker isn’t as much of puppet as we thought. I wasn’t expecting that.”

  It took me a short time to get home and check in with Claire. “What did you do? How bad is it?”

  “Excuse me? Good evening Mack, how was your night. I surely do hope you haven’t been injured in any way.”

  “Answer the question.”

  “I think I resent your tone.”

  “Mack!”

  “Alright, aren’t we in a foul mood tonight? Everything is fine, Kolann and I have handled it. Svetlana shouldn’t be causing any more trouble.”

  “Was he angry?”

  “Vampicidal.”

  “What?”

  “Never mind, get some sleep, Babe. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

  “With that attitude it’s almost a guarantee.” I knew that tone. “Relax Claire, you have my word and I intend to keep it. I will give everyone a fair chance.”

  “Don’t you mean as much of a chance as they give us, Alex?”

  “Do I?” I thought feigning innocence. Claire yawned audibly into the phone. “OK, as long as you’re sure I’m not going to get a call from the Chief about the ruckus you raised out there.”

  “Yeah…About that, remember Det. Decker?

  “What do you mean REMEMBER?!”

  Chapter 21

  I went home and got a few hours of sleep, rising again at 8am, still had a little visit to pay Chief Zawadski. I rode over to his house on the Kawasaki so that I could approach silently. Zawadski is a creature of habit. Every Sunday, he and his family go to early mass, have breakfast afterward and then he tinkers in his garage for the rest of the day. The garage is his man cave so the family gives him a wide berth, which is perfect for me. They weren’t home yet so I Slipped through the wall.

  Once inside, I disabled all lights, the exception being the single bulb in the middle of the room, thus providing lots of shadow and giving the room a spooky feel to it. Intimidation, done correctly, is one part muscle and nine parts theatrics. I waited, tossing the room in the meantime. There wasn’t anything to indicate his involvement with the murders or Svetlana. I was reviewing a particularly lame nudie calendar of girls on cars, when I heard the family Suburban pull up into the driveway. They had a pretty big house in the central west end, an affluent section of the city.

  It was a three car garage so Zawadski had the third bay walled off and converted into a den. I waited for him to come in and hit the lights. As he walked over to check the fuse box, I Slipped to the door, closing and locking it. He jumped, startled and went for his gun. The right bracer lashed out of the shadows, a thick cable of Spirit Stone entered the weapon, expanding to lock itself in place and seal the barrel. If he pulled the trigger it would be the biggest surprise of his life. I tore the 38 from his grip. With the left bracer I plucked the back-up side arm from his right ankle. “We need to talk Zawadski.” I said in a modulated voice, kicking a wheeled office chair into the center of the room.
“Have a seat.”

  “I don’t think you know who you’re dealing with, mister. You’d better think long and hard about what you’re doing.” I walked out of the darkness, my Glamour a rippling mask of blank flesh, like you see in those freaky demon themed horror movies. It had the desired effect. “Jesus Christ!” He sputtered falling backwards. I had to put my foot on the chair, right in front of his junk to keep him from flipping ass over elbows. His eyes widened. Aces, I hadn’t meant to threaten his genitals this early in the interrogation but it seems to have gotten his attention.

  “Not even close, Zawadski. Jesus, forgives, I don’t; you know who I am?”

  “You’re the one they call Mr. Smith aka, El Puño, The Fist.

  “Damn! There’s a blast from the past. El puño sangriento de la oscuridad, (The bloody fist of darkness) I haven’t heard that one in years! You a Chi-town boy, Zawadski?” The name came about from my days in Chicago. When I first escaped the Yakuza, I had to hide out in a rather seedy neighborhood. They say you should keep your head down, don’t make eye contact and don’t get involved. Yeah, right, sounds just like me doesn’t it? I got sucked in time after time.

  It was always some banger brutalizing an innocent person. I would just HAVE to get myself in the middle of it and chase them off or beat them down, which was the case most often and frankly my preference. The beatings didn’t send the right message to the Latino crews, at first. They just started increasing their numbers figuring, with enough blokes, they could take me down. I had to get smart before I ended up grossly outnumbered and use my Powers just to escape. It was then I first started using Shrouds. I would enter into the situation Shrouded to resemble a shadow on a wall or dumpster, what have you. Then speaking from the shadows, I’d warn the bangers off. They didn’t listen at first, so I had to make a few examples. I would leap from the Shroud masked, looking ominous as Hell in the rippling blank flesh Glamour and Broadcasting waves of fear the whole time. I would then, pull one of their members into the Shroud and beat the will to live out of him, tossing him back through and asking for the next “volunteer”.

  It would appear that he was dragged into the Otherworld and then emerged a beaten down mess. Hence forth, “The Bloody Fist of Darkness”. Some of them got the bright idea to fire into the Shroud. I was prepared for that. One quick command and their bullets came right back at them, suicide by Repulsor field. Word spread rather quickly and they would bolt as soon as they heard my voice, and avoided neighborhoods where I made regular appearances. A little passive aggressive I admit, but the results are what counted.

  “No. Born and raised in St. Louis,” Zawadski said. “When this all started, I had Lt. Decker do a search for similar vigilante activity. Your M.O. came up repeatedly. The Chicago Chief of Police actually had some nice things to say about you, despite his objection to your brutal methods. I figured it couldn’t be a coincidence.”

  “So how is Corbin these days? Last time I saw him I was deflecting a bullet for him.”

  “Retired now, that explains the good things he had to say about you.”

  “I’ve got my redeeming qualities, such as making your job easier or if you prefer, I can make every one of your waking moments a living Hell. The choice is yours.”

  “Is this what they call, making a deal with the devil?” He asked, in a weak attempt at humor.

  “No Chief, unlike him, I’ll honor my end of an agreement.”

  “I’ve heard that about you, Mr. Walker,” he said with a smirk. I ignored the obvious bait. Not biting, he continued. “I guess I’ll choose the ‘job easier’ option. What do you want to know?”

  I pulled up a chair and sat backwards. It’s a good tactical position. It keeps you in what they call “the horse stance” and if you’re rushed, in a moment you can send the chair crashing into your opponent with a single kick. I wasn’t expecting him to attack, but I had no idea what hypnotic safe guards Svetlana put in place. The most popular is a powerful suggestion that sends the victim into a homicidal rage if compelled to answer certain questions. I wouldn’t put it past Svetlana to use it out of sheer habit.

  “Mai, I need you to project a little calm, take the edge off his nerves. I don’t want him feeling drugged. Just enough to get some honest answers.”

  “Right, I’m almost in. Just give me a minute.” I felt power trickle out of me.

  Snapping my fingers I released the hex interfering with the lights. In the flash of sudden illumination I altered my Glamour to a different face, a Caucasian face with blonde hair and pretended to stuff a mask in my jacket pocket. I added a thick Midwestern accent and dropped my height several inches too. I know, I’m terrible, gotta be me…“Who’s Walker?” I asked plainly. The baffled look on Zawadski’s face, was priceless. I’m sorry but this really is the fun part. It’s sick and cruel, but I do enjoy the looks I get, when I blow a person’s mind. “Local street thug, an Aussie, close to 7 feet tall. Jordan’s going to be really disappointed.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Decker and Walker have been feuding for several years now. Personally I think it has something to do with with a certain deputy D.A. who dumped him for Walker.”

  “That and a dozen other reasons!”

  “Down girl…”

  “That’ll do it” I replied.

  Zawadski continued, “every time Decker thinks he has him, he either slips out of it…”

  “All too right, mate.”

  “… or plays some practical joke that makes him look like a complete ass.”

  “Easy to do, he does most of the work for me.”

  “Walker fucked up his car and stranded him in the suburbs last night, messed up his phone too. He had to walk twelve blocks until he was able to flag down a black and white.” I had forgotten about that. The chief started to chuckle, which turned into full face reddening laughter.

  “Care to share the joke?” I said. He was relaxing. “Good work, Mai.”

  “Thank you.”

  “He was in the car the whole time! Walker picked his pockets, disabled the vehicle and phone while HE WAS STILL IN THE CAR! HE NEVER KNEW HE WAS THERE!” The chief choked out. “He won’t live this down for years! He had to have been drunk off his ass!” He started to cough. “I’m sorry. I suppose you had to be there.” Giving him my poker face… “I think I would be more concerned that this man is working for someone else and not me. If I were you, I would bust my ass to recruit him.”

  “Can’t, we don’t take mercenaries.”

  “Mercenaries?” I asked hoping he couldn’t hear my teeth grinding. “I’ve looked into him. He’s listed as a Security Consultant. I know a guy he did some ‘work’ for. A gang was giving him trouble, trying to shake him down, beat up his kids and set a couple fires. He heard about this Walker from what he called a confidential source, talked to the guy. Said Walker starts out all friendly like, almost a kid at heart…”

  “OK guilty, what of it?”

  “…but when the chips are down, he’s really scary. He saw this guy take on six huge Bosnian or Croatian ex-military and put ‘em all in the hospital, without so much as a scratch. Claims Walker can jump 9 feet in the air, like it’s nothing. That’s hardcore special ops training or there has to be some trick to it. I was in Iraq. He fits the profile, probably leading a team.”

  “So anyway, Walker tells my friend he’s going to take care of his problem and not to worry about it anymore. Well my buddy thought he had taken a blow to the head to think these guys were going to put up with a him trashing six of their members. Get this…” Zawadski said. “The shot caller shows up the next day offering to pay for whatever damage they caused, said the guy kept looking over his shoulder like he was being watched and scared shitless. Now you tell me, who could accomplish something like that without the necessary fire power and a small squad of trained specialists?”

  “To top it all off the guy returns my buddy’s money with only a few thousand short for expenses. Can you believe it? He just hands bac
k $18,000! It must be some sort of guilt complex or something.” Another one of my discount jobs, he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone. “Somebody had to pay for all those hired guns! This guy is being bankrolled by someone, because his income is less than mine. We know he’s dirty somehow, just haven’t been able to nail him yet.”

  “Alright let’s ease back on the relaxation.” I felt the trickle of power stop. Good, now let’s get down to it. “I hate to break this to you Zawadski but the guy doesn’t sound like any mercenary I’ve ever heard of. One, mercenaries are soldiers of WAR. They fight in conflicts as hired guns. Two, they don’t issue refunds. They fight for the highest bidder regardless of the morals or ethics of the situation and get paid regardless of the outcome. This guy sounds like he’s got principles. Three, if this Decker has been hounding him as long as you say, that’s proof right there that he isn’t a mercenary.”

  “Oh? Why is that?”

  “Because, Walker would have either killed or put him in a wheelchair by now. Sounds like an independent contractor to me, Zawadski and not a man to be pissing off. My advice to you…leave him be. Sounds like he’s doing some good and isn’t constrained like you. Decker, on the other hand, has one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. If I were him, I’d leave well enough alone. No use getting killed on principle. Speaking of principles, why are you telling Svetlana Rayner about official police business or unofficial for that matter?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

  “Truth or at least he believes it is. We may have to dig deeper into his mind, Alex.”

  “Ms. Rayner is a friend and the Rayners have always been very generous philanthropists. I haven’t told her anything about police business. Is this about the press conference? I was informed that it was an anonymous tip.”