Reign of evil, p.24
Reign of Evil, page 24
I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and walked into the lion’s den.
24
“I hope you understand. There are certain security measures we have to take.” LaRue gave me a rueful smile while one of his guards waved a bug-detecting device around me. “We’ll need to search your bag as well.”
I handed LaRue my bag, glad I’d had the foresight to give Mac my comms unit for safekeeping. Void of any electronic devices myself, I prayed that Rok’s growls and bared teeth would dissuade anyone from checking his collar, where there was a plethora of high-tech tracking devices and cameras.
“I wouldn’t,” I warned as the guard started toward Rok with the wand. “That looks a lot like a weapon.”
“His collar…”
“Needs to stay on,” I informed the man. “If you want to check it, do so, but consider yourself warned.”
LaRue waved him off, handed me back my bag, and ushered me into the hallway. “Twenty minutes is hardly enough time for a tour, let alone drinks.”
“I’m not here for either. As you said, we have things to discuss, but there’s something I have to do first. I hope you understand.” I stopped in at the first doorway, which lead into what appeared to be a sitting room, and bent down to unhook Rok’s leash. “Search.”
At my command, Rok took off, circling through the expensive leather furniture before flying out the door, past LaRue’s guards, and down the hall to the rooms beyond.
“I suggest you contain your animal before something unfortunate happens.”
“If something unfortunate happens, I’ll end you.” I issued the threat without blinking an eye. “You may be a big fish, but it’s a very small pond you live in. I, on the other hand, am a very big fish in a very big pond, with resources you can’t even begin to imagine. Do not make me bring them to bear on you.”
“You seem to be under the wrong impression. I asked you here tonight to clear things up. I assure you, I know nothing about the drawing you left on the front desk. I am not who you think I am.”
“I beg to differ. You’re exactly who I think you are.” I pointed to the nearest guard, a large muscular man, with a decidedly military bearing. “You. Roll up your sleeve. The right one.”
“He does not take orders from you,” LaRue pointed out, when the man just stood there at attention.
“Then you tell him,” I countered. “If there’s not a tattoo on his arm that matches that drawing, I’ll concede the point.”
LaRue looked to the man, then back to me, knowing there was nothing he could do. I’d backed him into a corner, and any move he made condemned him. He was Le Roi Démon. There was no way he could deny it.
A cacophony of noise composed of barking, growls, and yells erupted from the end of the hallway, drawing my attention.
“If you don’t want a bloodbath, I suggest you tell your men to back off.”
“Let him pass.”
LaRue’s order was given to the man who refused to show me his arm. He pressed a button on his comms unit and passed along his master’s instructions. The yells ceased, along with the barking. The growls, however, continued.
I rushed down that hall, passing the rooms that Rok had already been through — hunting for the one he was in now. LaRue and his two henchmen followed, nearly running to keep up with me.
I swung around the last door to find Rok standing on the chest of a man laying on the floor — doing his best to protect his face and neck with his arms.
“Down,” I commanded, praying he’d listen and obey. I didn’t need a repeat of his performance with Karl. It had taken three of us — one being Lars, to get him to let go and Karl had been dead at the time. This guy was putting up a fight, and Rok was having none of it. From the corner of my eye, I saw a gun come out and level in Rok’s direction. I reached out and wrapped a hand around it, pulling it off target — adding a little mental assist in case he was stronger than I thought.
“Down,” I repeated, adding a snap of fingers to make my point. Rok immediately obeyed, coming to sit at my feet, while the man rose shakily to his feet. Whole and intact, without a drop of blood to be seen.
“What’s behind there?” I asked, pointing to the closed door across the room. The man had been foolish enough to keep Rok from investigating it, so it was safe to assume there was something there LaRue would rather I not know about. “Open it.”
“Enough of this,” LaRue spat out. “Perhaps if you would tell me what it is you’re looking for, I could save us both a lot of trouble.”
“Open it, or I leave. Right now.” I leaned forward so he and only he could hear me. “You are not my only option. You’re not even my top choice, but you and your establishment were recommended, and access to the port is something I desire, so I’m here. Two days, Larón. I’ve given you two days to prove you deserve what I’m about to offer, but before I offer it, I need to make sure the area is secure. Then and only then will we see if you can provide the quality and quantity of product I require. Now open the door.”
Once again, I’d backed him into a corner. He wasn’t happy, but he had to choose. He could either open the door or lose out on whatever I was offering. He chose to open the door. It was an electronic lock, opened with a keypad by the door. LaRue keyed in the code, threw open the door, and stepped aside, allowing me access to the inner sanctum of the Demon King.
There was no artwork adorning the walls or sculptures here. No plush leather chairs. This was a place of business, complete with a massive desk, a private entrance, and a computer monitor that rivaled the size of the one Sterling had. A sliding wall of glass opened out into a private garden, which I was sure hid yet another escape route. It was the Roi’s own private little kingdom, separated from the world of Larón De LaRue by the door we now stood at.
I walked on in, followed by Rok, who went over the room in a very enthusiastic manner. Within minutes, he was back at my side, having accomplished the task I’d set him to.
“Satisfied?” LaRue asked. His tone was clipped; his features, tight with anger. “There is no one else here. No cameras. No listening devices.”
I ran my hand along the polished surface of his desk. It was some kind of exotic wood, the colors vibrant and beautiful. It was the only piece of art in the room, and from it, he’d destroyed the lives of countless innocents.
The rattle of glasses had me turning toward the door. Devon was there, pushing a cart laden with trays of hors d’oeuvres and a bottle of champagne, and escorting her into the room was none other than watcher guy from The Rusty Claw.
“Leave it over there,” LaRue said, pointing to a pair of chairs set before the desk. “Then you may go.”
Devon wheeled the cart over, set out some napkins, and fiddled with the cutlery, reluctant to leave me alone with the watcher. She knew who he was — she and Mac had followed him from the restaurant and tailed him here. He didn’t know Devon — had never seen her before — but he had seen me. I had been in disguise, but something, whether it was my bearing or my voice, had caught his interest.
Watcher guy had tensed up the minute he saw me and was viewing me now with narrowed eyes. He knew he knew me, but wasn’t sure from where. Given time, he’d figure it out. And blow the entire operation.
“I look different now, don’t I?” I threw the first volley, deciding a good offense was called for. “Did you stay to finish your ribs, or did you get a doggy bag to take home?”
“You two know each other?” LaRue directed the question to watcher guy rather than me. Not a good sign.
“She was there when the girl was killed,” he answered, having finally placed me. “She was with an FBI agent.”
“Correction. I was there with people on my payroll. One of whom just happens to be in the FBI.” I wandered over and started sorting through the plates of appetizers on the cart. I found a particularly tasty-looking morsel and tossed it to Rok, who snatched it out of the air and swallowed it in one gulp. “You didn’t even taste that, you lazy animal. What a waste. Try chewing the next one.”
“Champagne?” Devon asked as I rooted around the trays for another doggy treat. I glanced up to find she had picked up the towel-wrapped bottle and was gripping it tightly, waiting for my cue. She was ready to fight — eager, even. All I needed was to give her the go-ahead and that bottle would become a deadly weapon in her hands.
“No.” I shook my head at her. “I’ll pass for now, but perhaps Monsieur LaRue would care for a glass.”
“I wouldn’t think The Rusty Claw was your sort of establishment.” LaRue noted as I tossed another canapé to Rok. He held up a hand, dismissing Devon and the champagne without a thought. “What were you doing there?”
“What you tried to do previously and failed so miserably to accomplish.” I picked up a napkin and cleaned off my hands. “I told you earlier that I desire a presence in New Orleans. In order for that to happen, I find I’m having to do some cleanup. You may control this city, but your people are sloppy, Larón. Especially this one here. He led us straight to you.”
The silence in the room was deafening. It was oddly appropriate, that small moment of mourning, considering I had just condemned a man to death. From the look on the face of watcher guy, he knew it too. It was a punishment he had no doubt meted out himself, and now he was about to be on the receiving end.
“She’s lying,” watcher guy accused, finally finding his voice. “You can’t believe a word she says.”
“Believe me or not, it’s up to you. I don’t care either way.” I paused and checked my watch. “I have to leave in a couple of minutes. If you want to hear my offer, it has to be now.”
“Leave,” LaRue ordered the watcher. “Take the girl with you. We’ll discuss this later.”
Devon hesitated for a second, unwilling to leave me alone, then set the bottle down on the cart and walked out the door. Watcher guy gave me one final murderous glare, then followed her out. LaRue motioned to the two men standing guard. They nodded in understanding and disappeared in pursuit of their prey.
“The girl is innocent,” I said as soon as they were out of sight.
“She heard too much. She’s a loose end that I wouldn’t want you to have to tie up.”
“No. We wouldn’t want that,” I agreed, trying to tamp down my fear that I wouldn’t be able to stop what was about to happen.
Mac —get Devon out. Two coming for her and the watcher…
I sent the mental message out fast. It was short and to the point, and I had no way of knowing whether Mac had received it or not. I needed to get out there and make sure Devon was safe, but first, I had to conclude my business with LaRue.
“I’m running late, so I’ll make this fast. Try to keep up.” I leaned down and clipped Rok’s lead back on making my intent clear. “I move a certain commodity internationally. Demand has grown, and I find myself in need of additional supply. My clientele is extremely discerning, accepting only the highest quality of merchandise. Merchandise that I’m hoping you’ll be able to provide.”
“That would depend on your requirements.”
“Untarnished and American made. Your usual shipments do not meet the grade. You would have to step up your game.”
“I see.” He slipped a hip onto his desk and crossed his arms, deep in thought. “That can be done, but it doesn’t come cheap.”
“I pay well for the right product. If you can provide it, you’ll be a wealthy man.”
“I’m already a wealthy man.”
“No. You’re well off. I’m wealthy.” I gave him a smile to take some of the sting out of my comment. “I’m willing to spread some of that wealth around, but before we can come to an agreement, I’ll need to see that you are up to the task. I leave the day after tomorrow. You have until then to prove you can supply me with goods that are acceptable and that your operations are secure. Fail and all bets are off. Succeed and your wildest dreams will come true. Call me when you have it set up. If I don’t answer, leave a message. I’ll get back to you. Miss the deadline and I move on to the next name on the list. Any questions?”
“Just one.” He leaned toward me, his persona changing instantly from Larón De LaRue to Le Roi Démon. Gone was all pretense of civility. It had been replaced with the menace of evil. “Tell me, Ms. DuPont. How did you know the girl would be there?”
The man was smart, I had to give him that. If he talked to watcher guy, which he would, he’d know I was already at The Rusty Claw when Micah came in. An establishment that, as LaRue had already pointed out, Lilly DuPont was unlikely to frequent and more of a coincidence than anyone with sense would buy. I needed to give him something — an explanation he could believe — or I wasn’t getting out of there without a fight.
“She was working for me,” I admitted, deciding a version of the truth was my best chance at survival. “You’re a difficult man to find, Larón. You covered your tracks well, but not well enough. It was known on the streets that she was hunting Le Roi Démon — the man rumored to be controlling the trade here in New Orleans. If the rumors were true and I wanted to do business here, I needed to find that man. The girl seemed my best chance of doing that.”
“You still haven’t answered my question.”
“I’m getting there.” It was taking too long. Devon was out there needing my help, and I was stuck here trying to explain myself. “That was a messy business at the warehouse, Larón. Your people not only missed taking the girl, they scared her and she went into hiding. It took a while for her to resurface, but when she did, she was more than happy to provide the information needed to find you.”
“I find it hard to believe she joined forces with you. You did, after all, have different reasons for hunting me.”
“She wasn’t aware of that fact.”
“Let me see if I understand this correctly. You told the girl what she wanted to hear, used her as bait to draw out my men, then killed her.” He rose to his feet and came toward me — stopping only at the sound of the warning growl coming from Rok. “How do I know you aren’t doing the very same thing to me?”
“The girl was, as you say, a loose end — a danger to me. You would be an asset. It’s an alliance I’m seeking, not a coup. I don’t acquire the merchandise. I supply the end-user. I have neither the time nor the desire to replace you. If I did, you’d already be dead.”
I stepped back and pointed to his chest. He looked down and froze — his eyes riveted to the red light centered over his heart. A light that had appeared just a few minutes earlier.
It was Matthew. I had no doubt of that. His actions were a repeat of what he’d done with Talon, letting me know he was there if I needed him. Somehow he’d managed to find a position giving him a clear shot, and although I suspected he’d gone rogue to do it, his timing couldn’t have been better.
“I’m leaving now. You have twenty-four hours, Larón,” I reminded the man standing before me. “Then I’m gone.”
“Where is she?” I asked as soon as I entered the lobby.
Mac and Talon were standing by the reception desk, right where I’d left them, but Devon and watcher guy were nowhere to be seen.
“Jace has her. Our watcher took off like a shot. The other two went after him.” Mac stepped forward and took my arm, pulling me out from behind the check-in desk, while Talon stayed by the door in wait for any pursuit that might follow. “Where’s LaRue?”
“He’s a little tied up right now. I need my comms unit.” I handed Rok off to Scotty, who had been waiting in the lobby for my return, and glanced around for the rest of my team. “Where is everyone?”
“Duke and Stitch are upstairs, guarding the rooms. The rest are watching the streets around the hotel.” Mac handed me the unit as I made my way to the hotel entrance at something just shy of a run. “I was worried that he’d take you out one of the exits we didn’t know about.”
“Call them in. We’re leaving.”
By the time I hit the sidewalk, I had my ear piece in and was on-line. “Matthew, let him go. Meet me out front.”
“I can take him now. Put an end to this.”
“No. I need him alive. If I wanted him dead, I would have it done it myself. I want you to pull off right now.” There was no reply. “Matthew?”
“Where is he?” Mac asked as Talon walked up to join us.
“Where is he supposed to be?”
“Wherever he can protect you.”
“Seriously? You gave him permission to decide something like that?”
“No. You did. Need I remind you that he doesn’t work for me. He works for you and KOR. I didn’t see the sense in giving him orders he was going to ignore. Sets a bad example for the rest of the team.”
Talon grunted in agreement, irritating me even further than Matthew’s failure to respond on comms. Pile on the fact that Mac was right about Matthew’s role on the team and I was in a decidedly bad mood. I should have anticipated what he’d do tonight and given him specific instructions beforehand, but I hadn’t, and now he’d gone radio silent. If something had happened to him...
“Matthew!” I hissed into my mic. “Answer me, right now!”
“You should have let me kill him.” The words whispered in my ear sent shivers running down my spine. I whirled around to find my personal assassin practically standing on top of me. “He’s coming.”
I glanced over my shoulder to see De LaRue pushing through the hotel doors, followed closely by several members of his band of demons. They were men on a mission and from all appearances, that mission was me.
“Where’s the woman?” De LaRue asked as soon as he neared me.
“I have no idea,” I answered.
“Don’t play games with me,” he hissed at me. “I know your men took her. We have them on video. You have her. I want her back.”
“I don’t play games, Larón. I honestly don’t know where she is, but yes, she is in my possession. And no. I’m not giving her to you. You can do what you want with your man, but the woman belongs to me.”
