Looting the 13th floor 2, p.7
Looting the 13th Floor 2, page 7
part #2 of Looting the 13th Floor Series
“Sorry,” Kali groaned. “It just feels so strange. And they’re so loud, and so powerful, and–”
“Wait here,” Spencer said with a nod. “I’m going to see what I’ve got that could help.”
He hurried off to the small shed as Kali’s whole body drooped. She looked down at the ground sadly as she scuffed her feet along the dirt.
“Baby steps,” I reminded her. “If anyone can help you with guns, it’s Spencer. Okay?”
“It just feels so impossible,” Kali said as she looked down at the pistol. “Especially since I’ve never held one before. Isn’t it so complicated when you really hold one?”
“You are going to do fine.”
Spencer emerged from the shed with another Glock held in his hand, and it had a plastic rifle-like structure fitted around it that made it slightly bulkier.
“Look here,” he said. “My daughter used to use this when she was learning. See this Roni body? It helps you grip and line up your shots. Besides, I think touching all that metal was part of your nerves since you’re allergic. You won’t have to do that with this.”
“Perfect!” Kali gasped as she swapped her weapon over. “Oh, thank you ever so much!”
“Thatta girl,” Spencer said. “We just needed that little boost of confidence! Let’s get this party started!”
He didn’t wait around to give Kali any chance to reconsider, and he quickly helped her get into position. I held my breath as I watched the nymph stand straight and steady while she lined up her shot. The addition of a Micro Roni body seemed to have calmed her nerves hugely, and I felt a rush of pride as she focused on the target.
Cleo laced her fingers into mine as we waited, and Kali finally pulled the trigger as Spencer stepped back.
The bullet went flying right toward the target and only missed the board by a few inches.
“Yes!” I yelled. “Kali! You did it!”
“You shot a death gun!” Cleo purred as the nymph turned around.
“I actually did it,” Kali breathed as she stared at the weapon. “Oh, my goodness! I did it!”
She leapt into my arms excitedly, and I spun her around as Spencer chuckled.
“I knew you had it in ya,” he said. “Now, let’s keep going until we fire right into that fucking board!”
“I’m ready,” Kali said eagerly as she hurried back into position.
“That gun is yours, by the way,” Spencer said firmly. “My daughter doesn’t need it anymore, and it was clearly made for someone like you.”
“Wow,” the nymph breathed. “Thank you! I’m always so grateful for any sort of gifts, but this might be almost as nice as all the ones Liam gives me…”
“Glad to hear it,” Spencer laughed, and he shot me a wink as if to say I was doing him proud.
It was amazing to watch Kali’s confidence grow and grow as she practiced. My uncle made sure her posture was right as he worked patiently, and Cleo swapped in a few times to practice as well. The cat-girl quickly became an expert shot with her Glock, and I pulled one of the rifles from my rucksack once I was sure they were all warmed up.
“I might as well play, too.” I grinned. “Then maybe Cleo can have a turn with one of these babies.”
“She can handle that shit,” Spencer snorted. “No question.”
The cat-girl’s golden eyes widened as she looked at the rifle, and I stepped up to the targets as I loaded a full magazine.
“Let’s make this fun,” Spencer said. “I ain’t letting you play with those circle targets. Hold up a sec!”
He jogged over to the tree stumps and started to set up beer cans along them, and he chuckled to himself as he propped a few up way far back in the distance.
“Can you hit that?” Kali gasped as she squinted. “It’s all so small and far away!”
“We’ll find out.” I grinned as my uncle strode back over.
“Let’s see what you’re made of,” Spencer laughed. “Show me that you still got those crazy skills. Or has that shitty city you live in made you soft?”
He gave me a playful nudge as I smirked and lined up my shot. The rifle felt weighty and comfortable in my hands as I remembered the last time I had used it. Mowing down Leviathans and gargoyles had been a hell of a rush, but they were much bigger targets than beer cans.
I steadied my stance as I took aim, and I felt a blast of adrenaline as I let her rip.
My finger feathered the trigger as I unloaded a round of bullets at the tree stumps, and I quickly maneuvered so I tore into the entire line of metal. The violent shock raced through my body, but I kept still and steady.
Then I immediately swung my aim over to the cans in the distance, and they went fucking flying as I eased myself still once more. Every one of the containers had a bullet hole in it, and I couldn’t stop grinning as I lowered the gun and spun around to my uncle and the girls.
“Yeahhh, nephew!” Spencer snorted. “I knew you were still tough as all hell! Fuck yeah! You get that from my side of the family.”
“That was incredible!” Cleo cried as her ears wiggled. “You are such a deadly outlaw king.”
Her tone dripped with lust, and Spencer raised an amused eyebrow at the cat-girl.
“You are so talented,” Kali sighed with a dreamy smile. “I’ve never felt as safe as I do being with you. No ruffians will ever get past you!”
“Ruffians?” Spencer asked. “Is that what you kids call criminals nowadays? I can’t keep up with this shit. Come on, let’s get Cleo up and running with the rifle.”
The cat-girl looked like she was going to explode with excitement as I passed her the AR-15. My uncle was incredibly patient as he explained the difference in power with the guns, and he made sure Cleo was fully prepared for the full-body experience of shooting a semi-automatic rifle. She was pretty shaky on her first few tries, but Spencer corrected her stance until she was able to control her aim much better.
Kali was happy to stick with her Micro Roni as she got closer and closer to hitting the middle of the target. She even managed to get one of the beer cans, and she leapt into my arms to celebrate.
I almost kissed her in the heat of the moment, but I managed to control myself. Although, the way her blue eyes stared up at me made me think she would have enjoyed it as much as I would.
Still, if I did get to enjoy the taste of her lips again, I didn’t exactly want it to be with my uncle standing three feet away from us. I wanted to be able to give her absolutely all of my attention and then some. So for now, I just enjoyed her flirty hugs, dazzling smiles, and the way her little squeals of happiness sounded in my ears.
We must have spent hours out in the blazing heat, but it went by so quickly that I barely noticed the sun getting lower in the sky. I only realized how much time had passed when Daisy shouted over from the front of the house.
“Food’s ready,” she called with a wave. “Come and get it, you gorgeous things!”
I wiped sweat from my forehead as we started to pack up, and the monster girls couldn’t stop talking about their new love for shooting.
“It just feels so powerful!” Kali said eagerly. “I know it’s only small, but so am I.”
“You shoot it very well,” Cleo said. “The rifle is my favorite because I can mow down my enemies all at once. I prefer that sort of power.”
“Remind me never to piss you off,” Spencer said with a snort. “Come on, you lot have earned some good fucking food before you leave.”
I felt filled with adrenaline as we walked back to the house, and several chickens raced in front of us with loud clucks.
“Fucking idiots!” Spencer yelled as he almost tripped over one. “Do that again and it’ll be chicken burgers for tomorrow’s dinner.”
Kali giggled as the hens raced back to the barn as if they had heard the warning, and the smell of barbecue wafted to meet us. Daisy had brought out some camping furniture and laid down burgers and buns on the table.
“Come on over,” she said happily. “Plate up! There’s plenty.”
I helped myself to a couple of burgers and splashed a generous helping of mustard on each before I sat down on one of the fold out chairs. It creaked slightly under my weight, but it was comfortable enough as I bit into my food.
“I watched some of you from the window,” Daisy said. “Holy hell, you’re a skilled group. Liam, where the hell did you learn to shoot a rifle like that?”
“I’ll give you three guesses,” I chuckled as I nodded at Spencer.
My uncle puffed out his chest with obvious pride, and then he launched into a rant about how all of my prowess was from his side of the family.
The air began to cool as we enjoyed our food, and the Hollowfell beauties didn’t stop smiling. Their confidence was electric as they discussed every target they had hit.
“Can I really keep the gun?” Kali asked as she delicately nibbled her bun.
“Course,” Spencer said. “It’s all yours! I think it was built for you.”
“I love it,” the nymph sighed.
“Thanks, Uncle Spencer,” I said as I finished up my last bite of burger. “This has been fucking awesome. I knew it was the right place to come.”
“Any time,” he said with a nod. “Your uncle’s always here for ya! That goes for you girls, too. Any friend of Liam is a friend of ours. So long as you’re not jackasses.”
“Thank you,” Cleo purred. “You are a wonderful teacher.”
“You really are,” Kali gushed. “Daisy, thank you for the lovely food as well! Your ability to cook is truly inspiring.”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” the blonde woman said. “Do you kids wanna stay the night? We’ve got spare rooms.”
“We better be heading back,” I said as I glanced at the sky.
I wanted to take Sunday to prepare for our next heist, and we would need as much time as we could get to have an ironclad plan. We got to our feet as Cleo stretched her arms, and Daisy pulled the girls into a hug.
“You are both so gorgeous,” she said. “Take care, honeys! Liam, sweetie! So nice to meet ya!”
“You, too.” I smiled. “We’ll swing by again soon for a longer stay.”
“I’ll hold ya to that,” Spencer said as he slapped my back. “Just you give me a shout whenever you need a top up with bullets or any shit. I’ll keep ya hooked up.”
“Thanks,” I said with a smirk. “How exactly is it you have so many L.A. contacts willing to drop off bags of guns at my doorstep?”
My uncle winked at me as he tapped the side of his nose.
“I got an idea,” he said. “You don’t ask me that, and I don’t ask what kind of deer you’re gonna be shooting?”
“Agreed,” I chuckled. “Night!”
We headed back to the Mercedes as Spencer and Daisy cleaned the plates away, and Kali sat in the front seat beside me. Cleo yawned and curled her legs up underneath her as her ears drooped with tiredness.
“What a day,” I sighed as I started the engine. “Now I officially have the most deadly Hollowfell women at my side.”
“We are wanted outlaws,” Cleo purred. “And now, we are even more dangerous than before.”
“I can’t believe I shot a gun,” Kali said happily as I sped toward the metal gate. “I feel like I can do anything now!”
“You can,” I said as the entrance swung open for us. “Tomorrow, we’re going to plan our next heist.”
“Yes!” Cleo hissed. “I can shoot down the gargoyles. Bang! Spill their blood for what they have done to trophy girls like us. It will feel very nice to destroy them with the guns.”
“And steal more treasure,” Kali said eagerly. “Then Liam can get one of these rich human guy car machines!”
The evening sky glowed orange as I started the drive back home, and Cleo quickly fell asleep in the back. Kali’s wide eyes stared up at the setting sun as she smiled to herself. She had come a long way in the span of a short afternoon.
I was so proud of both of them, and I knew we were going to be a deadly force when we stepped back into Hollowfell.
We were armed to the teeth and ready to kill. The monster-filled world was about to be hit where it hurt, and I was going to get even richer.
Chapter 5
The girls fell asleep on the drive back home, and they only opened their eyes when I finally parked next to my building. A few stars were dotted in the sky despite the light pollution, and wispy clouds drifted over a crescent moon. Cleo had curled up on the back seat with her tail wrapped around her body, and Kali’s curls fell over her face while she leaned against the window. I took a moment to admire how gorgeous they both were as I turned the engine off.
“Hey,” I said softly as they stirred. “Bedtime.”
The Hollowfell beauties stretched as we climbed out of the Mercedes and made our way back into the apartment block. My eyelids were heavy as I put the key in my lock, and we stumbled into the small living room.
Kali fell onto the sofa with a sleepy mumble, and I made sure the blanket was tucked around her before I followed Cleo into the bedroom. The cat-girl tumbled onto the mattress and began to snore within a few seconds. I smiled as I pulled my clothes off and climbed in beside her, and she shuffled into my arms.
I knew we probably should have all taken a shower, but it had been a hell of a day, and we’d been shooting outside and wearing gloves, so I wasn’t super worried about lead dust. My mind drifted back to watching the girls learn how to shoot as I fell into a deep, deep sleep.
The next day I woke up feeling refreshed as Cleo clung to my chest. We all lazed around before we got up and decided to stroll in the sun to grab breakfast. Both girls were eager to take the day enjoying the views of L.A., and we spent the afternoon eating ice cream, trying on sunglasses, and pointing out every potential car that we could own in the future.
Elijah texted that I could keep the car over the weekend since he had been roped in to work, so there was no rush or obligations for the afternoon.
It was a glorious day of relaxation, and we didn’t head back to the apartment until the early evening. Our stomachs were full of snack food, but I was buzzing with energy as we made ourselves comfortable on the sofa. The day of rest was coming to an end, and it was time to get ready for our next action-packed adventure.
“Okay,” I said as I leaned back. “The time to return to our loot-filled world has returned. We’re going to work toward an even bigger heist than ever before.”
“Yes!” Cleo hissed. “Now that we are skilled with the guns, we can kill any enemies in our path.”
“What’s the plan?” Kali asked. “Do you have somewhere in mind that you want to go to for looting?”
I had thought about the mansions, castles, and islands dripping with gold all throughout Hollowfell. But my mind kept going back to the unease I felt for the unlocked thirteenth floor. None of that treasure would matter if I couldn’t keep the world hidden and secret. The twelfth level of my office building was about to be packed with new staff from the two new companies, and it was getting way too risky. All it would take would be one person slacking off and wandering around. Then the magical portal would no longer be just my secret, and I couldn’t risk that.
“There is one thing I need,” I said. “You know those potions we stole from the island? We need to get one of the magical Banshee tools to open them. That way we can use the locking spell to hide the thirteenth floor.”
“They keep the openers very close,” Kali said. “Some of them wear them on belts with other tools, but sometimes they’re locked away in their houses or purses.”
“They will not let working folk near them.” Cleo nodded. “I told you about the banshees hoarding the spells. They will not risk anyone lesser getting their hands on magic.”
“We’ll have to plan an attack,” I decided. “We can track down one of the banshees who has an opener visible on them, and we’ll take it from there.”
“They love driving through Stormgulf.” Kali nodded. “Always shopping and showing off their wealth in those awful carriages.”
“We’ll need to leave the forest,” Cleo said with a calculating look. “That means being out in the open, and I am still being hunted. So are you, Liam.”
“It will be very dangerous.” Kali tapped her lip in thought. “I can disguise myself, but you two are so noticeable. You can’t just walk into the city looking like that! Your handsome face will be so recognizable, Liam!”
The nymph blushed as if she hadn’t meant for those words to come out, and she cleared her throat as she pulled on a soft curl.
“Maybe we can get cloaks,” Cleo suggested. “That way we can cover my ears, and Liam’s human guy clothes will be disguised.”
“Perfect,” I said. “Kali, will you be able to go into the city to get us some cloaks if you disguise yourself?”
“I can,” the nymph said. “It might be a bit scary to be walking amongst all the High Society, but they won’t know it’s me. I hope.”
“We’ll be right close by,” I promised. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The nymph nodded with the same determination I had seen before she fired her gun. I knew she would be able to fight through the nerves as long as I was by her side. Every day she was becoming bolder and more sure of herself. It was incredibly sexy.
“Are we looting, then?” Cleo asked with a greedy curl of her lip. “After we get the opener?”
“Let’s focus on getting the opener first,” I said. “I’m paranoid about the thirteenth floor just sitting there unlocked. I want to get this spell set up as soon as possible, and then we can plan our next heist.”
“And you can get a car machine!” Kali said excitedly.
“Exactly.” I grinned. “I’ll need to skip work tomorrow, but I’ll think of some excuse. I can say I’ve taken you both on a training trip or some shit. Roberts won’t question it.”
“We will sneak the guns in again?” Cleo asked as she glanced at the rucksack. “Will we need to do another distraction fight?”
I remembered the girls rolling around in a fake brawl to occupy the stand-in security guard, and I felt slightly lightheaded at the image. But I shook my head to focus. Those thoughts could be dealt with later.
