A whole world, p.41
The Oriceran Rich and Famous Collection: Two Complete Oriceran Universe Series, page 41
It was too late to catch a ferry back to Bremerton, so Henry had to drive around to the south through Tacoma. It was an hour-long ride, and the Honda Accord was full of people.
“Get your elbow out of my ass, dude,” Trent complained.
“You wish I was in your ass,” was the response from Benji. “Wait, that didn’t come out right.”
Jordanna cackled. “Actually, I think that’s exactly how you meant it to come out. It’s called a Freudian slip.”
Henry glanced in the rearview mirror at the crowded backseat. “Ellie, I asked you to bring your best soldiers along.”
She caught his eyes and shrugged as well as she could, crammed against the door with Shia in her lap. “Soldiers have dirty mouths, Henry.”
“She has a point,” Nicole answered. She finally turned her phone off and set it aside. “Winter says everything is set. Your friend Reese said he would be there by morning to take the Prev mole off our hands. He was really hiding inside the wall? Must be a pretty small guy.”
Henry grinned. You’re in for a surprise, Nicole.
They reached his back gate at 1:40 a.m. An armed guard, part of Ralph’s contingent, approached the window with rainwater dripping from the brim of his Navy baseball hat.
“Mr. Neumann, nothing much to report. We heard some noises in the cave earlier, but Winter assured us that everything was fine. I’ll get the gate open for you.”
“Thanks, Stuart.” Henry waited for the gate to open, then drove through. He left the window down so the smell of fresh rain could drift through the car, dispelling the stench of farts and body odor.
The sound of the drizzle spitting against the roof died out abruptly as they entered the tunnel. Dim lights set low on the walls funneled them along, and soon Henry turned into the cave entrance. Winter was standing there in the middle of the space, watching as they came in.
Ellie wasted no time. She flew out of the car before it had fully stopped, setting Shia on his feet and waving a hand in front of her nose. “You guys stink!”
Nicole was still laughing as she stepped out of the Honda, but she stopped when she saw the huge figure tied down to the floor across the cave. Her eyes flicked over to Henry. “That’s a Kilomea. A fucking Kilomea was hiding inside your walls, hacking all your shit.”
“It seems that way.” Henry took her by the arm, leading her toward the creature. “Let’s go say hi. Winter, care to introduce us?”
Winter rubbed his hands together, smiling as he took in Nicole’s shocked expression. “Oh, I care very much. Henry, Nicole, this is Jeff.”
Jeff the Kilomea was awake, tapping his fingers on the floor. He sighed when he saw them approach. “Yes, yes, take it in. Bask in my undignified position. When I joined the Prev, I thought I would be the one basking.”
“Hold on now.” Winter made the timeout sign with his hands. “This is quite the turnaround from how you were speaking earlier. Are you saying you have second thoughts about your commitment to the gang?”
Jeff tried to shrug. One of the ropes holding him snapped, the two halves flying apart. “Oops. Sorry about that. Don’t worry; that rope wasn’t doing much. It’s the steel cables that are holding me down. Yes, dwarf, you are correct, but not fully. In actuality, I started having second thoughts hours ago. I would say I’m on my fifth or perhaps my sixth thoughts at this point. First, my fellow gang members assured me when I took this infiltration job that they would stop at nothing to free me if something like this were to occur.”
Henry looked around. “I don’t see any of them. Looks like they’ve left you for dead. Or worse, for Trevilsom Prison.”
“I do not relish the thought of going to that place,” Jeff replied. “I like my mind and my faculties where they are, not washed out by the hell of magical confinement. Therefore I am prepared to make a deal. Do not fear, Neumann. I am aware that you would never offer me immunity. I would be content with a lesser form of imprisonment.”
Nicole pursed her lips and tapped them with her index finger. “Hm. What kind of information are you offering, Jeff? Sorry, I can almost say that with a straight face.”
The Kilomea shifted and groaned miserably. “I can give you the leader of the Pictish Revival, or at least his name. Knowing what I know about the technology you have in this cavern, the rest should be easy for you.”
Winter looked at Henry. “This is your show, muscles. Do you trust this beast?”
“I resent being called that,” Jeff complained.
“Do I trust him? Hell no.” Henry stared down into Jeff’s eyes. “But I know a lone wolf when I see one. All right then, Jeff. Tell us his name.”
“Ian Buchanan,” Jeff growled. His deep voice echoed from the starry roof of the cave. “He’s a nineteen-year-old sociopath. Rumor has it he entertains himself by purchasing animals from pet stores and torturing them in various ways. He also promised he would rescue me, so I have no qualms about giving him up. I hope you kill him, Neumann. Now how about your end of the deal?”
Henry left for the armory to drop off the Prev weapons he had procured from the fight at the Space Needle. He called over his shoulder, “I’ll take care of it. For now, just get comfy.”
The discontented roar of the Kilomea filled the huge space, but he remained where he was, making no attempt to break free.
“Here he is.” Winter pointed at the screen, where there was a mugshot of Ian Buchanan. “He looks rather cherubic, with those ruddy cheeks, but his eyes…” Winter shivered. “He was arrested two years ago, but since he was a minor, the records are sealed. But we have his address.”
“Mercer Island,” stated Henry. “Any other records?”
“Indeed.” Winter pressed the right arrow on the keyboard, and the mugshot was replaced with a low-quality scan of some paperwork. “Ian Buchanan is an orphan. His parents were killed in a plane crash where the airline was found to be negligent. He was awarded over two million dollars as a result, which I suppose is how a boy his age has managed to purchase his own house without any form of employment.”
Nicole got up from her chair. “Let’s pay him a visit and kick his teeth in. Prev problem solved. The rest of the ants will scatter after Ian’s taken care of. I predict they’re all about as loyal as our new pal Jeff.”
“I doubt it’ll be that easy, but we can try.” Henry stood and pushed his stool out of the way. “I’m going to bring a few of Ralph’s guys down here to watch the Kilomea. It looks like the three of us have a field trip to make. I say we go right now. I doubt either Ian or Stryker are resting right now, so we can’t afford to.”
“Lovely, another hour-long drive.” Nicole followed and slapped Winter on the arm as she passed him. “Come on, Snow. Let’s go. Hey, that rhymes. Could make a decent catchphrase.”
Mercer Island lay along the waters of Lake Washington, a smaller city set between the twin metropolises of Seattle and Bellevue. They made better time in reaching it than they had on their way back to Bremerton since Henry had traded the Honda for a pure black Bugatti Veyron. It had been modified to allow for more seating, but it still had a top speed of two hundred and forty miles per hour.
“It’s all right to go as fast as you want,” Nicole said as they drove out of Bremerton. “If we get stopped, I can flash my fed credentials. That’ll get us out of any tight squeeze.”
As luck would have it, they were not stopped. At a quarter past three in the morning, they were crossing the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge onto Mercer Island. From there, they turned south. They dropped their speed and coasted through suburban neighborhoods.
Nicole pointed through the windshield. “This will be Mercerdale Park up here. Take a right, then a left onto 77th. Ian’s place is on the left.”
Henry followed her directions. Ian’s house didn’t look unique, except for its color. “The whole thing is painted green.”
“Even the garage door,” Winter pointed out. “Looks like a leprechaun vomited all over it.”
“That reminds me…” Nicole twisted in her seat to look at Winter. “I thought of a good Halloween costume for you.”
“Yes?” he asked innocently. “I’ve come up with a good one for you too. A sexy nurse. With my height advantage, I should get a very good view up between your—”
Nicole pointed a finger at him. “Careful what you say next, Snow. Besides, you aren’t that short. If we trimmed your hair and beard, you could probably play Danny DeVito in a biopic.”
“You think so? Thanks very much for the confidence boost.” Winter slapped his hand on the back of Henry’s suit. “Are we going to sit here all night, or are we going to check this place out?”
Nicole pulled her ski mask on. “Let’s do it.”
Henry drove up the street and parked around the corner. He engaged his necklace disguise as he got out, leading the way back toward Ian’s place. “Here’s the plan. You two hang back. I’ll knock and see if this creep is home. If he answers, I’ll punch his lights out, and we can interrogate him when he wakes up.”
“Why do you get all the action?” Nicole demanded.
“Because I’m paying your salary.” He looked at Winter. “And I’m also paying for all the ice cream and pie you’ve been sucking down.”
Winter threw up his hands. “I didn’t say anything. You’re the boss, Henry. Besides, how many times do I have to apologize? I didn’t know you never got a slice of that boysenberry pie. If I had, I wouldn’t have scarfed the last piece.”
“That’s all right.” Henry patted his stomach. “I’ve been getting a little puffy anyway. Always happens during the winter.”
Nicole sighed. “You two. We look weird enough walking through a quiet neighborhood in the middle of the night. How about zipping it?”
She and Winter darted for their hiding places, her behind an untamed bush to the left and the dwarf behind a row of hedges to the right. Henry walked up to the door with confidence and rang the bell. The porch light was off, and through the thin lace curtain on the nearby windows, he didn’t see any lights on inside.
My gut tells me no one’s home, but I remember another time when I thought that, and I ended up letting Stryker get the best of me. Never again.
He waited, counting down the seconds. At one minute, he tried the door. It was locked, which was no surprise. He looked around to see if anyone was watching, then let the shifter transformation begin. As soon as he felt the wolf’s strength flood and stretch the muscles of his arm, he ripped the doorknob off and set it to the side.
Henry took a breath and waited for the transformation to subside. He wormed a finger into the hole where the knob had been, knocking off the knob on the other side and springing the mechanism. The door popped open with a squeak of rusty hinges, and a wave of stench hit him like a punch. His eyes watered as ammonia stung his sinuses.
“Fuck me.” He waved a hand by his face. Winter mistook it for a signal and ran over.
“We’re in, just like that. Nice work, muscleman.”
Henry shrugged. “No big deal. Fortunately, there wasn’t a deadbolt. I don’t think Ian’s here.”
Winter winced. “Probably hasn’t been for weeks, going off the smell. What died in there?”
Henry pressed a button on his earpiece. “All right, Nicole. Head around back and see if you can get in. If not, I’ll be there soon to let you through. If Ian’s in here, it’ll be best if we flank him.”
He and Winter crossed the threshold and went their separate ways to circle around on either side of the house. Henry made it into the kitchen and wrinkled his nose as he looked around at the dirty takeout containers all around. “I don’t know whether to breathe through my mouth so I don’t have to smell anything or breathe through my nose for extra filtration.”
“You need a beard like mine,” Winter replied through the earpiece. “All the worst stuff gets stuck in there. I hope I don’t mistake it for a donut crumb or something of that sort.”
“Are we talking about beard boogers?” Nicole put in.
Henry cringed. “Stop talking. Both of you.” He moved along a narrow lane of clean space through the garbage littering the kitchen floor. “So, this guy’s a hoarder. Add that to his list of mental health issues.”
As he entered the hallway beyond the kitchen, he came face to face with Winter. They both jumped in fear, then laughed nervously.
Nicole appeared out of the darkness at the back of the house. “Managed to pick the back door lock pretty easily. Ian Buchanan has pretty much zero in the way of home security. Like Winter said, he probably hasn’t been here in a while. But I found this…” She held out a textbook. “It’s about the history of Scotland. According to the notes on the inside, he checked this out from the Seattle Public Library four years ago and never returned it.”
Henry nodded. “Makes sense. The obsession had to come from somewhere. I imagine Ian feels alienated from society like a lot of young men these days. He latched onto whatever identity he could find for himself. In this case, his Pictish lineage.”
A creaking sound echoed through the house. Henry recognized it as the front door hinges.
“Nicole,” he whispered, “go out the back and loop around. Winter, back around the way you came. Let’s hit him with a scissor maneuver.”
The trio went their separate ways. Henry navigated the kitchen as best as he could, but at the last second, he kicked an empty soda can and sent it bouncing across the floor. The front door slammed. Henry ran for it and yanked it open in time to see the silhouette of Ian Buchanan sprinting down the driveway, spilling groceries from the paper bag he was holding.
“Out of the way!” Winter shouted. He ducked under Henry’s arm and gave chase.
Henry followed, resisting the urge to transform. Buchanan was fast, but not fast enough. Henry kicked into high gear. His long legs blurred with speed as he tapped into every hour of training he had done.
He thought he was ready for anything, but he was surprised when Ian stopped and turned around. The grocery bag fell to the ground and burst open. Bell peppers rolled away, and a quart of chocolate milk ruptured, spilling over the asphalt.
Using his newly freed hand, Ian pulled a weapon off his belt and pulled the trigger. Henry grunted and braced for the impact. I knew it was only a matter of time before someone shot me.
He had heard that getting hit with a bullet felt like fire and ice burning through your flesh, but this was different. His muscles locked up and he fell. About halfway down, he realized that Ian’s weapon wasn’t a gun. It was a tasing device.
But not a traditional one. It fired a wave, and it hit Winter at the same time. He and Henry hit the ground simultaneously, twitching as random electrical impulses shot through their nerves and muscles.
Ian appeared in Henry’s sight. He stared down at him, the moonlight just strong enough to reveal the swirls of blue ink on his boyish face. He shook his head slowly. “Henry Neumann. I knew you’d eventually find me, but I thought you’d put up a better fight. I guess you can’t stop underestimating me.” He held out his weapon. “Do you like it? A present from friends at the Dark Market. There’s more where that came from. I hope you enjoy losing because you’re about to start doing a lot of it.”
The young man gave a victorious grin and pulled a second weapon from his pocket. This one was a real gun, a 9mm pistol, and he aimed it at Henry’s head.
“Starting with your life,” Ian added.
His only warning was a soft rustle. Ian glanced around as Nicole spun into a roundhouse. The heel of her boot slammed into Ian’s nose with a crack, and blood sprayed in every direction. Ian grunted and stumbled back, dropping the pistol. He looked around quickly, then ran.
He didn’t make it far; Nicole caught up ten feet away. Henry was able to flop onto his side and watch as they tussled in the middle of the street, trading kicks and punches. The young Prev leader held his own and landed a couple of blows, but Nicole absorbed them and kept the fight even.
“Go, Nicole,” Winter slurred. “Gig hib azz. I mean, kick hib… Sh, nebber mine.”
Nicole tried to oblige the dwarf. She darted to one side and twisted into a second roundhouse kick. Ian barely managed to duck it and thrust his elbow into Nicole’s gut. She fell to the ground, clutching her midsection.
“And who might you be under the mask?” Ian breathed heavily as he knelt beside her. “The bounty hunter, maybe?”
Henry crawled forward limply and managed to get his hand on the fallen 9mm. Ian saw that and ran. He darted around the corner of a house and was out of sight.
“Fuck.” Henry threw his full weight into a clumsy roll and managed to shift the momentum enough to sit up. Winter was coming around by then as well. He got to his knees.
“Never felt anything like that.” Winter groaned and rubbed his chest. “It was like I went from zero beers to ten in the space of a second. I’ll have to do some digging and find out what sort of tech that was.”
Nicole ran back to grab the pistol from Henry. “Here, let me have that in case he comes back.”
“He won’t.” Henry gritted his teeth with effort as he fought his way to his feet. “He’s gone.”
Nicole nodded. She was still hunched over and cradling her stomach. “That kid hit me like a freight train. He’s a lot stronger than he looks. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s ’roided up on something heavy.”
“Yeah, it’s called sociopathic rage.” Henry helped Winter to his feet. “And now he knows we’re onto him. We’ll have to be ready since he’s probably about to ratchet his game up to the next level.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The three of them limped back toward the parked Bugatti. Halfway there, Henry felt a buzz from his phone. “Oh, look, another email from our mutual acquaintance.”
They put their heads together to read it.
All I wanted was to help him bring them back. Everyone we’ve lost. Everything that was stolen by the forces of evil. My people. My past. My history. You will not stop me. I will do whatever it takes to achieve this goal. I’ll see you in hell.
“Get your elbow out of my ass, dude,” Trent complained.
“You wish I was in your ass,” was the response from Benji. “Wait, that didn’t come out right.”
Jordanna cackled. “Actually, I think that’s exactly how you meant it to come out. It’s called a Freudian slip.”
Henry glanced in the rearview mirror at the crowded backseat. “Ellie, I asked you to bring your best soldiers along.”
She caught his eyes and shrugged as well as she could, crammed against the door with Shia in her lap. “Soldiers have dirty mouths, Henry.”
“She has a point,” Nicole answered. She finally turned her phone off and set it aside. “Winter says everything is set. Your friend Reese said he would be there by morning to take the Prev mole off our hands. He was really hiding inside the wall? Must be a pretty small guy.”
Henry grinned. You’re in for a surprise, Nicole.
They reached his back gate at 1:40 a.m. An armed guard, part of Ralph’s contingent, approached the window with rainwater dripping from the brim of his Navy baseball hat.
“Mr. Neumann, nothing much to report. We heard some noises in the cave earlier, but Winter assured us that everything was fine. I’ll get the gate open for you.”
“Thanks, Stuart.” Henry waited for the gate to open, then drove through. He left the window down so the smell of fresh rain could drift through the car, dispelling the stench of farts and body odor.
The sound of the drizzle spitting against the roof died out abruptly as they entered the tunnel. Dim lights set low on the walls funneled them along, and soon Henry turned into the cave entrance. Winter was standing there in the middle of the space, watching as they came in.
Ellie wasted no time. She flew out of the car before it had fully stopped, setting Shia on his feet and waving a hand in front of her nose. “You guys stink!”
Nicole was still laughing as she stepped out of the Honda, but she stopped when she saw the huge figure tied down to the floor across the cave. Her eyes flicked over to Henry. “That’s a Kilomea. A fucking Kilomea was hiding inside your walls, hacking all your shit.”
“It seems that way.” Henry took her by the arm, leading her toward the creature. “Let’s go say hi. Winter, care to introduce us?”
Winter rubbed his hands together, smiling as he took in Nicole’s shocked expression. “Oh, I care very much. Henry, Nicole, this is Jeff.”
Jeff the Kilomea was awake, tapping his fingers on the floor. He sighed when he saw them approach. “Yes, yes, take it in. Bask in my undignified position. When I joined the Prev, I thought I would be the one basking.”
“Hold on now.” Winter made the timeout sign with his hands. “This is quite the turnaround from how you were speaking earlier. Are you saying you have second thoughts about your commitment to the gang?”
Jeff tried to shrug. One of the ropes holding him snapped, the two halves flying apart. “Oops. Sorry about that. Don’t worry; that rope wasn’t doing much. It’s the steel cables that are holding me down. Yes, dwarf, you are correct, but not fully. In actuality, I started having second thoughts hours ago. I would say I’m on my fifth or perhaps my sixth thoughts at this point. First, my fellow gang members assured me when I took this infiltration job that they would stop at nothing to free me if something like this were to occur.”
Henry looked around. “I don’t see any of them. Looks like they’ve left you for dead. Or worse, for Trevilsom Prison.”
“I do not relish the thought of going to that place,” Jeff replied. “I like my mind and my faculties where they are, not washed out by the hell of magical confinement. Therefore I am prepared to make a deal. Do not fear, Neumann. I am aware that you would never offer me immunity. I would be content with a lesser form of imprisonment.”
Nicole pursed her lips and tapped them with her index finger. “Hm. What kind of information are you offering, Jeff? Sorry, I can almost say that with a straight face.”
The Kilomea shifted and groaned miserably. “I can give you the leader of the Pictish Revival, or at least his name. Knowing what I know about the technology you have in this cavern, the rest should be easy for you.”
Winter looked at Henry. “This is your show, muscles. Do you trust this beast?”
“I resent being called that,” Jeff complained.
“Do I trust him? Hell no.” Henry stared down into Jeff’s eyes. “But I know a lone wolf when I see one. All right then, Jeff. Tell us his name.”
“Ian Buchanan,” Jeff growled. His deep voice echoed from the starry roof of the cave. “He’s a nineteen-year-old sociopath. Rumor has it he entertains himself by purchasing animals from pet stores and torturing them in various ways. He also promised he would rescue me, so I have no qualms about giving him up. I hope you kill him, Neumann. Now how about your end of the deal?”
Henry left for the armory to drop off the Prev weapons he had procured from the fight at the Space Needle. He called over his shoulder, “I’ll take care of it. For now, just get comfy.”
The discontented roar of the Kilomea filled the huge space, but he remained where he was, making no attempt to break free.
“Here he is.” Winter pointed at the screen, where there was a mugshot of Ian Buchanan. “He looks rather cherubic, with those ruddy cheeks, but his eyes…” Winter shivered. “He was arrested two years ago, but since he was a minor, the records are sealed. But we have his address.”
“Mercer Island,” stated Henry. “Any other records?”
“Indeed.” Winter pressed the right arrow on the keyboard, and the mugshot was replaced with a low-quality scan of some paperwork. “Ian Buchanan is an orphan. His parents were killed in a plane crash where the airline was found to be negligent. He was awarded over two million dollars as a result, which I suppose is how a boy his age has managed to purchase his own house without any form of employment.”
Nicole got up from her chair. “Let’s pay him a visit and kick his teeth in. Prev problem solved. The rest of the ants will scatter after Ian’s taken care of. I predict they’re all about as loyal as our new pal Jeff.”
“I doubt it’ll be that easy, but we can try.” Henry stood and pushed his stool out of the way. “I’m going to bring a few of Ralph’s guys down here to watch the Kilomea. It looks like the three of us have a field trip to make. I say we go right now. I doubt either Ian or Stryker are resting right now, so we can’t afford to.”
“Lovely, another hour-long drive.” Nicole followed and slapped Winter on the arm as she passed him. “Come on, Snow. Let’s go. Hey, that rhymes. Could make a decent catchphrase.”
Mercer Island lay along the waters of Lake Washington, a smaller city set between the twin metropolises of Seattle and Bellevue. They made better time in reaching it than they had on their way back to Bremerton since Henry had traded the Honda for a pure black Bugatti Veyron. It had been modified to allow for more seating, but it still had a top speed of two hundred and forty miles per hour.
“It’s all right to go as fast as you want,” Nicole said as they drove out of Bremerton. “If we get stopped, I can flash my fed credentials. That’ll get us out of any tight squeeze.”
As luck would have it, they were not stopped. At a quarter past three in the morning, they were crossing the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge onto Mercer Island. From there, they turned south. They dropped their speed and coasted through suburban neighborhoods.
Nicole pointed through the windshield. “This will be Mercerdale Park up here. Take a right, then a left onto 77th. Ian’s place is on the left.”
Henry followed her directions. Ian’s house didn’t look unique, except for its color. “The whole thing is painted green.”
“Even the garage door,” Winter pointed out. “Looks like a leprechaun vomited all over it.”
“That reminds me…” Nicole twisted in her seat to look at Winter. “I thought of a good Halloween costume for you.”
“Yes?” he asked innocently. “I’ve come up with a good one for you too. A sexy nurse. With my height advantage, I should get a very good view up between your—”
Nicole pointed a finger at him. “Careful what you say next, Snow. Besides, you aren’t that short. If we trimmed your hair and beard, you could probably play Danny DeVito in a biopic.”
“You think so? Thanks very much for the confidence boost.” Winter slapped his hand on the back of Henry’s suit. “Are we going to sit here all night, or are we going to check this place out?”
Nicole pulled her ski mask on. “Let’s do it.”
Henry drove up the street and parked around the corner. He engaged his necklace disguise as he got out, leading the way back toward Ian’s place. “Here’s the plan. You two hang back. I’ll knock and see if this creep is home. If he answers, I’ll punch his lights out, and we can interrogate him when he wakes up.”
“Why do you get all the action?” Nicole demanded.
“Because I’m paying your salary.” He looked at Winter. “And I’m also paying for all the ice cream and pie you’ve been sucking down.”
Winter threw up his hands. “I didn’t say anything. You’re the boss, Henry. Besides, how many times do I have to apologize? I didn’t know you never got a slice of that boysenberry pie. If I had, I wouldn’t have scarfed the last piece.”
“That’s all right.” Henry patted his stomach. “I’ve been getting a little puffy anyway. Always happens during the winter.”
Nicole sighed. “You two. We look weird enough walking through a quiet neighborhood in the middle of the night. How about zipping it?”
She and Winter darted for their hiding places, her behind an untamed bush to the left and the dwarf behind a row of hedges to the right. Henry walked up to the door with confidence and rang the bell. The porch light was off, and through the thin lace curtain on the nearby windows, he didn’t see any lights on inside.
My gut tells me no one’s home, but I remember another time when I thought that, and I ended up letting Stryker get the best of me. Never again.
He waited, counting down the seconds. At one minute, he tried the door. It was locked, which was no surprise. He looked around to see if anyone was watching, then let the shifter transformation begin. As soon as he felt the wolf’s strength flood and stretch the muscles of his arm, he ripped the doorknob off and set it to the side.
Henry took a breath and waited for the transformation to subside. He wormed a finger into the hole where the knob had been, knocking off the knob on the other side and springing the mechanism. The door popped open with a squeak of rusty hinges, and a wave of stench hit him like a punch. His eyes watered as ammonia stung his sinuses.
“Fuck me.” He waved a hand by his face. Winter mistook it for a signal and ran over.
“We’re in, just like that. Nice work, muscleman.”
Henry shrugged. “No big deal. Fortunately, there wasn’t a deadbolt. I don’t think Ian’s here.”
Winter winced. “Probably hasn’t been for weeks, going off the smell. What died in there?”
Henry pressed a button on his earpiece. “All right, Nicole. Head around back and see if you can get in. If not, I’ll be there soon to let you through. If Ian’s in here, it’ll be best if we flank him.”
He and Winter crossed the threshold and went their separate ways to circle around on either side of the house. Henry made it into the kitchen and wrinkled his nose as he looked around at the dirty takeout containers all around. “I don’t know whether to breathe through my mouth so I don’t have to smell anything or breathe through my nose for extra filtration.”
“You need a beard like mine,” Winter replied through the earpiece. “All the worst stuff gets stuck in there. I hope I don’t mistake it for a donut crumb or something of that sort.”
“Are we talking about beard boogers?” Nicole put in.
Henry cringed. “Stop talking. Both of you.” He moved along a narrow lane of clean space through the garbage littering the kitchen floor. “So, this guy’s a hoarder. Add that to his list of mental health issues.”
As he entered the hallway beyond the kitchen, he came face to face with Winter. They both jumped in fear, then laughed nervously.
Nicole appeared out of the darkness at the back of the house. “Managed to pick the back door lock pretty easily. Ian Buchanan has pretty much zero in the way of home security. Like Winter said, he probably hasn’t been here in a while. But I found this…” She held out a textbook. “It’s about the history of Scotland. According to the notes on the inside, he checked this out from the Seattle Public Library four years ago and never returned it.”
Henry nodded. “Makes sense. The obsession had to come from somewhere. I imagine Ian feels alienated from society like a lot of young men these days. He latched onto whatever identity he could find for himself. In this case, his Pictish lineage.”
A creaking sound echoed through the house. Henry recognized it as the front door hinges.
“Nicole,” he whispered, “go out the back and loop around. Winter, back around the way you came. Let’s hit him with a scissor maneuver.”
The trio went their separate ways. Henry navigated the kitchen as best as he could, but at the last second, he kicked an empty soda can and sent it bouncing across the floor. The front door slammed. Henry ran for it and yanked it open in time to see the silhouette of Ian Buchanan sprinting down the driveway, spilling groceries from the paper bag he was holding.
“Out of the way!” Winter shouted. He ducked under Henry’s arm and gave chase.
Henry followed, resisting the urge to transform. Buchanan was fast, but not fast enough. Henry kicked into high gear. His long legs blurred with speed as he tapped into every hour of training he had done.
He thought he was ready for anything, but he was surprised when Ian stopped and turned around. The grocery bag fell to the ground and burst open. Bell peppers rolled away, and a quart of chocolate milk ruptured, spilling over the asphalt.
Using his newly freed hand, Ian pulled a weapon off his belt and pulled the trigger. Henry grunted and braced for the impact. I knew it was only a matter of time before someone shot me.
He had heard that getting hit with a bullet felt like fire and ice burning through your flesh, but this was different. His muscles locked up and he fell. About halfway down, he realized that Ian’s weapon wasn’t a gun. It was a tasing device.
But not a traditional one. It fired a wave, and it hit Winter at the same time. He and Henry hit the ground simultaneously, twitching as random electrical impulses shot through their nerves and muscles.
Ian appeared in Henry’s sight. He stared down at him, the moonlight just strong enough to reveal the swirls of blue ink on his boyish face. He shook his head slowly. “Henry Neumann. I knew you’d eventually find me, but I thought you’d put up a better fight. I guess you can’t stop underestimating me.” He held out his weapon. “Do you like it? A present from friends at the Dark Market. There’s more where that came from. I hope you enjoy losing because you’re about to start doing a lot of it.”
The young man gave a victorious grin and pulled a second weapon from his pocket. This one was a real gun, a 9mm pistol, and he aimed it at Henry’s head.
“Starting with your life,” Ian added.
His only warning was a soft rustle. Ian glanced around as Nicole spun into a roundhouse. The heel of her boot slammed into Ian’s nose with a crack, and blood sprayed in every direction. Ian grunted and stumbled back, dropping the pistol. He looked around quickly, then ran.
He didn’t make it far; Nicole caught up ten feet away. Henry was able to flop onto his side and watch as they tussled in the middle of the street, trading kicks and punches. The young Prev leader held his own and landed a couple of blows, but Nicole absorbed them and kept the fight even.
“Go, Nicole,” Winter slurred. “Gig hib azz. I mean, kick hib… Sh, nebber mine.”
Nicole tried to oblige the dwarf. She darted to one side and twisted into a second roundhouse kick. Ian barely managed to duck it and thrust his elbow into Nicole’s gut. She fell to the ground, clutching her midsection.
“And who might you be under the mask?” Ian breathed heavily as he knelt beside her. “The bounty hunter, maybe?”
Henry crawled forward limply and managed to get his hand on the fallen 9mm. Ian saw that and ran. He darted around the corner of a house and was out of sight.
“Fuck.” Henry threw his full weight into a clumsy roll and managed to shift the momentum enough to sit up. Winter was coming around by then as well. He got to his knees.
“Never felt anything like that.” Winter groaned and rubbed his chest. “It was like I went from zero beers to ten in the space of a second. I’ll have to do some digging and find out what sort of tech that was.”
Nicole ran back to grab the pistol from Henry. “Here, let me have that in case he comes back.”
“He won’t.” Henry gritted his teeth with effort as he fought his way to his feet. “He’s gone.”
Nicole nodded. She was still hunched over and cradling her stomach. “That kid hit me like a freight train. He’s a lot stronger than he looks. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s ’roided up on something heavy.”
“Yeah, it’s called sociopathic rage.” Henry helped Winter to his feet. “And now he knows we’re onto him. We’ll have to be ready since he’s probably about to ratchet his game up to the next level.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The three of them limped back toward the parked Bugatti. Halfway there, Henry felt a buzz from his phone. “Oh, look, another email from our mutual acquaintance.”
They put their heads together to read it.
All I wanted was to help him bring them back. Everyone we’ve lost. Everything that was stolen by the forces of evil. My people. My past. My history. You will not stop me. I will do whatever it takes to achieve this goal. I’ll see you in hell.
