Nimravid (The MacFade Chronicles Book 1) Page 7

  I hate mixing sports metaphors like that, but I’m sort of hanging by a thread here, intellectually. The other vamps were now a couple yards behind with two above, on fire escapes. One of them was Dominic. I shouted up to him in a thick Irish accent, hoping he would anger quickly and make a mistake. “Well now me boy o. I tried taking it easy on ya but if ya don’t leave off and clear out. I’m gonna rip off yer lucky charms and feed ‘em to ya.”

  “You really do think you’re funny don’t you, Mr. Walker. I wonder, is that a defense mechanism or just a reaction to fear?”

  “No, I genuinely think I’m funny. Most people do in fact. It’s a dry, intellectual wit so I understand why dip shits like you, don’t get it.”

  Dominic glared down at me. “I tire of this. Kill the freak.” Freak? I growled at Dominic, grasping the rod as it morphed into a short Bo staff, a good weapon in a tight space. Shauna was seeing WAY more than she should, but, I have my hands full, right now; the Covenant of Occultation would have to suffer.

  Charging me, I turned to meet the bruisers head on, letting out a deafening roar of challenge. “SEISHIN HAKAI-RYOKU!” Power left my body, traveling through my arms and into the staff, forming a ball of pure destructive force at each end. I struck one thug in the chest and then the other, literally smashing them to pieces, accelerating away from me so quickly, it looked as if someone had shot them out of a cannon. Pieces of brick and vampire flew everywhere.

  “Oh, now that’s just disgusting.”

  “There’s no style points right now, Mai.”

  My world began to spin as I sank to my knees. I was tapped out, due to the Shroud draining me, it would drop at any second, revealing Shauna. Dominic leaped down from the fire escape and landed lightly next to me. Typical bully, wait for the victim to be incapacitated in some way. I roared again straight in his face.

  He winced at the volume but didn’t look phased. “Well that was quite impressive. Do you do children’s parties, wizard?” I was breathing heavily but I was going to be damned if I wasn’t going to respond. “Nah, it’s too big of a mess to clean up. All the profits end up in the dry cleaner’s pockets.” Dominic reached down and hoisted me into the air by my throat and started to squeeze.

  I took that opportunity to kick him in the balls. His eyes bulged and his grip weakened a little, I was satisfied. “Just for that I’m going to kill you slowly,” he snarled. Dropping me to the ground, he pulled out my Beretta. “I was going to use this…” Tossing it over his shoulder, he drew a wicked looking serpentine shaped dagger called a Kris. “But I’m thinking that, would be a little too quick. Hold him! I’m going to peel him like a grape.” I flicked open a pocket concealed in my sleeve and smashed a flash bomb to the ground between us. A brilliant ball of intense light, a loud boom and a copious amount of smoke, filled the alley. In the confusion, I scrambled for the Shrouded motorcycle but they were ready for me. I could see an SUV had been pulled across the entrance to the alley to create a choke point.

  “Now what, Alex? Up the wall?”

  “No good, they’d just run me down on foot. In the condition I’m in, it wouldn’t take long. No, we’ve only got one choice.” I could see the vampires watching the back of the alley intently. They knew I hadn’t escaped.

  “A Shroud isn’t going to help you Mr. Walker, you still smell the same.” Dominic called to me. “We’ll find you sooner or later and by my calculations you won’t be able to hold it for much longer, but that’s alright. I’ve got time.” I was going to have to go all in. I dropped the Shroud as I propped myself up on the bike. “Don’t think you have as much time as you think, genius.” I roared again putting everything I had in to it. Off in the distance a canine howled in sympathetic solidarity.

  “Alex! What are you doing?”

  “Last resort, Mai. If the amulet doesn’t work it’s Mack Tar Tar.” I reached for the amulet secured to the gas tank. “Don’t do it, Alex!”

  ”No choice, channel as much power into me as you can, Mai.” I placed my bare hand on the amulet and shouted “HOUSHUTSU!” The amulet discharged, all at once, feeling like someone had plugged my whole body into a light socket. My legs went out from under me but I kept a death grip on the amulet through the intense pain. Dominic gave me a disgusted look. “Now this is just sad. What is this, a suicide attempt?” The other vamps in the alley started to chuckle.

  It only took Mai a few seconds to convert the kinetic energy into life force. Raw power poured into me. I felt myself getting stronger and more aggressive by the second. “Now Alex! TAKE THEM DOWN!” I jumped to my feet causing Dominic to spring backward. I let out what can only be described as a tiger’s roar and shouted. “WHO WANTS SOME?” A couple vamps lunged for me as Dominic scrambled up a fire escape, as fast as his little weasel hands and feet could carry him. Reaching the first landing, he turned to watch the show.

  I Slipped and morphed the rod into the Katana again. Exiting The Void right in front of one of the charging vamps, holding the sword out, stock still, I let his own momentum cleave the head from his shoulders. Swinging the sword down and across the chest, I cut the second neatly in two, diagonally, from collar bone to waist. Another vamp touched down a few yards from me and drew his own sword. “Since when do vampires carry swords?

  “Careful Alex, he’s the personal guard of a vampire Clan Chieftain. They feed from the sire on a regular basis. They are very fast and very strong, even compared to other vampires.”

  I morphed the gauntlet into a set of three seven inch claws extending out from my left fist running down the back of my hand, to the wrist. “Alex!” I whirled around. One of the vamps I had put down, had pulled himself back together and was clawing his way towards me. Attacking from behind, that really annoyed me. I thrust the blades, diagonally, into his back and shouted “SEISHIN KASAI!” Flames encased the claw and consumed the vampire in an instant. When they died down, there wasn’t anything left but a patch of black glass where the vampire had been. I’ve never been able to do that before. I turned back to my opponent, who wasn’t looking so sure of himself anymore. “You still here?” He raised his eye brows clearly curious about my inexplicable confidence. “Seems to me you’re out of ammo, freak.”

  “Maybe, but you’ve got bigger problems than I do, ya jackal faced drongo.” I roared once more. Again, much closer this time, came a succession of canine howls. Dominic and his thug didn’t seem to understand their situation. “What ARE you talking about now, Walker?” Dominic was starting to sound bored. I grinned like I knew something he didn’t. Fact was, I did. “I’m a fan of trivia Nicky boy, a master at it really. For instance, did you know a tiger’s roar can be heard for two miles? Allow me to demonstrate.” I roared again and started to become light headed from the effort. This time, it was followed by a chorus of sharp yips. I chuckled as their reality set in on them. “Now you see, that sounds like at least three, may be four Lupines. I’d say they are a few blocks away and they’ve now got my scent. They’re not fans of mine but I wonder… who do you think they’ll go after first? Me, or their sworn blood enemies of the last few centuries? Quite a quandary, don’t you think?”

  Dominic and his thug lifted their noses, sampling the air. The scent of Werewolf was now unmistakable. “Go!” Dominic commanded, “They are almost on top of us!” He leaped down from the fire escape, turning to me as he landed. “This isn’t finished, Walker!”

  “You had better pray it is, or you’ll consider HIM the lucky one.” I gestured with the claw to the spot of blasted asphalt. “I’m officially declaring vampires an endangered species in this city. Pass the word to your boss, like a good little lackey.” Dominic sneered and high tailed it back to his Porsche.

  “Damn! I should have trashed that while I had the chance. I wonder...”

  “NO! This is not the time to get vindictive, Alex. You have an innocent to protect and those wolves are right around the corner. You’ll have another chance at them. The local clan chief won’t let this go unanswered, especiall
y if that was just him. You killed four of his people, and seriously maimed three others; he’s not going to be happy about that. We need to get out of here, right now!” I could hear the barks and snarls approaching. There wasn’t any time to lose. I had to concentrate. IGNORE! I projected. The powerful telepathic suggestion took hold and I walked Shauna and the Kawasaki, unnoticed right past three of the biggest wolves I’d ever laid eyes on, just as they rushed into the alley. Another few moments and Dominic and I would have both had a serious problem. I settled Shauna onto the seat a block away and started the bike. I would need to drop her off at a safe house, before going home.

  “Mack?”

  “Yes?”

  “What just happened?”

  “I promise you Shauna, after we get you your club back; we are going to have a long talk about it, but in the meantime, mum’s the word. Understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, you’ll live longer.”

  I speed down the street and up the ramp to I64. Tracking scents on a highway is damn near impossible due to the constant movement of the air, so we were home free with both wolves and vampires. Shauna clung to my waist laying her head on my back, exhausted and to tell the truth, so was I. After I squared her away, I was going to sleep for a week or at the very least get a full night’s rest.

  It’s good to have dreams and goals, don’t you think?

  Chapter 7

  As I mentioned earlier, I am a security consultant and a licensed bounty hunter thrown in for appearances. I have made some friends along the way and done some “odd jobs” around the world. These “friends” are usually powerful men that needed something, of major import, done and didn’t want to go to the cops. Sometimes it was a privacy thing; other times what they wanted done, stretched the limits of the law a little further than most are comfortable with. As a Yakuza, I’m terribly bothered by laws. Many times, they didn’t have faith in the authorities to be capable or motivated enough to handle things successfully. It’s quite common for police and feds to be so detached and jaded, that the victims and their families don’t believe they are really putting forth a sincere effort.

  That’s where I come in and how I got involved with the LeBlanc’s. I am known to these people as “Mr. Smith”. Yeah, I know, kind of an obvious alias, but as Oroku said, as I was leaving Osaka, rather hastily I might add, “If you must hide, the best place is in plain sight. When looking for something we always check the unlikely and hidden places first. Once that is done, we check the obvious ones. By the time someone starts looking for you in obvious places you’ll know they are coming, long before they arrive.” It’s also a lot harder to run down a mystery man when he works internationally with nothing to go on but the name Smith. See my point?

  I take on the jobs I feel are worthy of me. The greedy and malicious I either ignore or nail to the wall, if they truly offend my personal sensibilities. I know, I sound a little full of myself; truth be told, I am and it’s well founded.

  The ride home tonight seemed way longer than usual, felt like I was still Slipping through The Void. Every motion, Hell every thought, was an exertion. I trudged in the door about 4 am. As usual, my dog Lucy was right there waiting for me, a mix of a Wire Haired Dachshund and Cairn terrier. She started jumping up and down pressing her front claws against my leg for balance. I found her as a puppy, half-starved trying to suckle from her dead mother, apparently the victim of a hit and run. Being the runt of the litter, I could only assume her siblings had been scooped up by passersby and she had been deemed a lost cause. I reckon I have a soft spot for orphans, being one myself. What can I say, family is family. “Alex home! Alex home, Lucy happy to see Alex. Lucy love Alex!” Can you ask for any better of a homecoming than that, every night? It’s also more meaningful when you speak canine.

  “Calm down Lucy. Alex happy to see Lucy too. Alex love Lucy. Lucy need to be quiet. Alex have big head hurt.” You have to keep it simple with dogs, their vocabulary is not exactly extensive. Lucy stopped barking immediately and jumped up on the couch with me, settling for licking whatever part of me she could get to, mostly my face and hands. Lucky I had the forethought to stop by a MacDonald’s on my way home and wash all the vampire blood off. I started scratching behind Lucy’s ears. The little mutt contentedly laid her head on my leg and wagged her tail. “Lucy hungry.”

  “Of course, what else is new?” I fixed her with a parental stare. “Lucy always hungry. I smell Shelly. Shelly not feed Lucy?” My tuxedo cat, Charles, rolled off his window sill and dropped to the floor. “She most certainly did; that animal would crawl into the bag and eat her way out, if you let her. It’s truly disgusting, if it weren’t for me tipping you off, that stupid creature would be as big as the house by now.” I gave him a wry look. “Looks who’s talking. What are you up to now Charlie boy? Two stone I believe.” Charles, jumped and perched atop my recliner, yawning and stretching, in a display of apathy. He gave me a little sniff. “That’s different, I carry it well.”

  I hid my smile. “Oh, of course, my mistake.” Lucy started sniffing my jacket, her tail wagging furiously. Thump, thump, thump, thump against the couch cushions. Her eyes widening as she sat up, feet on my chest. “Alex have chicken? Lucy love chicken. Alex have chicken for Lucy?” After my little wash up break; I bought a small snack to get me home. A sly smile crept across my weary face. “Oh, you don’t want these, they’re cold by now. Lucy jumped down from the couch, sat down on the floor. “Yes Lucy do, Lucy love ALL chicken, please can Lucy have chicken?” I sensed distain from the other side of the room. “Oh Good Lord dog, have some pride!” Charles trotted by on his way to the litter box. “It’s like living with a mentally damaged child.” Lucy ignored him and continued to stare up at me. “OK, here you go.” I pulled the box of nuggets out of my jacket and opened it for her. “CHICKEN!” She took a deep breath and inhaled the whole thing. “Crikey! Loose, did you even taste it?”

  “Yes, taste like chicken.” She responded simply. “Alex have more?” Dogs, sarcasm is a complete waste of time on them. Lucy sat up and started a very familiar dance, pivot from one front foot to the other. “Lucy need go potty.” I knew that was coming. “OK Lucy, go ahead, but no play. It’s late and time for sleep.” She whined dejectedly “No play? Lucy no sleepy. Lucy want to play.”

  “Lucy no play, only potty.” I told her sternly. Lucy puffed out her lips in an expression of canine frustration and walked over to the electronic doggy door. A green light on her collar unit lit up and there was an audible click as the door unlocked itself. She looked back at me as she started through. “Little play?” I looked at her through tired eyes. “I said no play, only potty.” I gave her my “do it or else” look and she stepped through the door. 5…4…3…2…1 “SQUIRREL! SQUIRREL! SQUIRREL!” I groaned inwardly knowing I was going to be getting another nasty-gram shortly from Ms. Rodriguez, the head of the neighborhood watch.

  “I could have told you that was going to happen,” Charles commented on his way back to his favorite spot on the recliner. “That’ll do Charles. Or, you’re going out to get her.” He looked at me and flicked his tail a couple of times. “As you wish, milord,” he said tritely as he curled up and went to sleep. “LUCY!” I bellowed telepathically. “Get your little brown and red bum in here. No play means no play!” Lucy came in the doggy door, very proud of herself. “Lucy brave, Lucy scare away nasty squirrel.” I sighed and shook my head. Oh what a burden it must be to have such responsibilities… “Yes Lucy, the world is now a safer place, time for sleep.”

  “Right!” Lucy trotted happily into the bedroom and climbed into her doggy bed, head on her feet and watched me. I grunted as I got up, every bruise and slash smarted and ached. Taking off my jacket, the muscles in my shoulders protested the entire time. I debated whether or not to return Claire’s call. Mai appeared in front of me, in the solid form she takes inside the house. “It’s too late to call her tonight. You’ll only wake her in a panic. You know her favorite saying.” I could hear it
in my mind. “Only bad news comes after midnight.”

  “The sooner you get to bed, the sooner I can start healing your injuries.” My house being on a Ley Line, and specially modified, allows it to absorb magic like a huge battery. Through me, Mai can tap into it and appear solid as well as heal my injuries overnight, most of the time. “You’re right Mai. What would I ever do without you?”

  “You’d live a much more boring and tedious life—and a considerably shorter one at that.”

  “That sounds so good right now,” I mumbled as I shuffled down the hall to my bedroom

  “NOT FUNNY!” Mai barked from the living room. I closed the door behind me not caring the tiniest little bit.

  Chapter 8

  I walked into the bedroom to the gentle thumping of Lucy’s tail. Reaching down, I groaned as my back had its chance to lodge protest and ruffled her ears. “Good night Lucy, pleasant dreams.” She sighed contentedly and closed her eyes. I took a quick shower, the hot water breathing a small amount of life back into my exhausted frame and lay down on the bed.

  Sleeping turned out to be a challenge. My mind racing about all the events of the day, I sat up. “Shit! I forgot to contact the LeBlancs.” Hauling myself out of bed, I sat down at my laptop and sent a simple, untraceable email to Andre LeBlanc. “Target neutralized. Arianna couldn’t be saved. Local authorities have her now. My deepest condolences. Will contact you tomorrow regarding disposition of final payment. –Mr. Smith.” Falling into bed around five, I slept a dreamless sleep until late morning.

  I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. I checked the time. 10:38 am. The caller ID read Claire, so much for sleeping. OK, this ought to be interesting. “Hey sexy! What’s up?” I said trying to sound awake.

  “Don’t hey sexy me, you jerk! Why didn’t you call me back?”

  “Sorry Claire, was on a job and didn’t get home until the wee hours of the dawn. I was going to call you first thing this morning, honest, scout’s honor.”