Stone Cold NV: World of Sin, Book 1

by J. A. X. Mikesell

  We moved forward after the couple moved away, handing over the card that Pappy had given us.

  “Good evening. How can I help the two of you?” The concierge asked without looking at the card, then giving us a wink. “Looking for a little quiet time today, are we?”

  “Ew, dude… She’s my sister.” I said, “We’re here on council duty, and have need of our rooms please.”

  “Council business, yes. I’ve heard that before. Trying to score a free pass into the penthouse suite is more like it.” The woman said, chuckling. “And siblings. Of course you are.”

  She laughed a little louder this time, drawing the attention of a few passersby.

  “Can you look at the card, please?” Cory asked with a smile that could chill a room of fireplaces. “We’re in a hurry here.”

  “Of course you’re in a hurry, don’t want the parents to find out now, do we?” The woman smirked and glanced at the card, then went pale. “Oh, my… I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize the head of the council was in town.”

  “Cuz only trolls for brains wouldn’t even think to look at something they’re given.” I muttered, making the woman flush. “Look, we seriously are here on council business and are in a hurry. So can we get our keys please?”

  “Of course, sir.” The woman said. “I just will need copies of your ID’s and a register number please.”

  “You might not find anything with our register numbers, we just got them a few days ago.” Cory said, “But you can try.”

  Cory reached into her bag and pulled out her transcript. Giving me a look when I didn’t get mine out right away. Pulling out my wallet, I grabbed a few papers, setting everything down on the counter.

  “Az, why is your wallet full of crap? You really need to clean it out more.” Cory admonished, rolling her eyes.

  “I know exactly what all is here. None of it is crap.” I replied, “I just haven’t had my register number long enough to remember its exact location.”

  Cory sighed and rolled her eyes at the woman behind the desk again. After another few moments of going through everything, I finally pulled out the card and handed it over.

  “An alchemist and a mentalist? That’s an odd mixture.” She said, giving us sideways looks.

  “We apparently wanted to go against our ancestral paths.” Cory said, shrugging.

  The woman went to the side counter with a scanner connected to a small computer and scanned our registers. She leaned to the side while she waited, picking at her nails. A small chime filled the air, and she moved in front of the computer again, entering some information into the system and clicking with the mouse before turning slowly back to look at us, staring open-mouthed at Cory.

  “Is something wrong?” Cory asked.

  The woman shook herself and swallowed before handing back our registers as if they were poisoned.

  “Where is your anima?” She asked Cory. “A master is never very far from their anima. Unless the system is broken, you should have one with you.”

  “Not that it’s any of your concern, but it’s nearby.” Cory said warily. “I didn’t think they would have updated the system that fast. I just got it hours ago.”

  “Wait, you haven’t completed your trial yet?” The woman asked, eyes going wide. “I don’t want that crap happening in my hotel!”

  “Look here lady, she already said it’s none of your concern.” I said hotly, raising my eyebrow and narrowing my eyes at her. “So back off and give us the keys to our rooms. Unless you would like the council to pull its funding? We can get a pretty decent discount at a rival casino in a heartbeat if you’d rather lose our contract.”

  Face going white, the woman snapped her mouth shut and grabbed two sets of keys from behind the counter, handing them over.

  “James will take your bags to your rooms and see that you are comfortable.” She said. “Please let us know if you need anything else. Enjoy your stay at the Caesar’s Palace.”

  ◆◆◆

  “Can you believe the nerve of that woman?” I asked as I tossed my bag onto the couch in the lounge area of the rooms.

  “I’m more worried as to why she didn’t want me to complete my trial here.” Cory said, wringing her hands and staring at her purse with the egg in it. “Do you think it’s going to be something really messy? I can’t handle that Az. I really hope it’s not messy.”

  “Cory, whatever the trial is, it’s what it’s supposed to be. So messy or not, you’re going to have to go through it if you want to keep your anima.” I said over my shoulder as I was looking through the little kitchen area. “Besides, you could use a little bit of a mess in your life.”

  Scoffing, she turned and headed toward the stairs to the side, taking her briefcase with her.

  “I’m serious though Cory, whatever your trial is, it’s supposed to be the one you need to go through.” I called after her.

  I listened to her mumbling something back for a moment before she went out of earshot. Turning back to the kitchen, I continued looking through the cupboards and finally found the coffee and filters.

  “Jackpot.” I said, grabbing the container and filters. “Time to get some life juice going.”

  As I waited for the coffee to brew, I pulled my bag closer and sat down on one of the bar stools at the center island. Flipping the top open and rummaging around for a minute, I pulled out the book and flipped through to the pages for the gun.

  The gun is an odd mixture of metal gears and plastic. Residue in what we believe to be the chamber section indicates that whatever ammunition that was housed within was very potent. The gun is extremely old, so for the magic to still be slightly active leads us to believe that the wielder of the gun must have been one of the most powerful Madgie of their time.

  “Well, no shit Sherlock.” I muttered. “You don’t create something that can last for that long and not be pretty blasted powerful.”

  We have yet to determine the cause of death among the party that found the weapon to begin with. We recommend it be handled with utmost care in all future dealings. Until we are able to establish what the residue used to be and what it did, we will need to continue all chemical tests with just a single occupant in the room at any given time. All attempts to fire the weapon have proven useless. No ammo we currently have even comes close to being a fit to expel.

  “What are you looking at?” Cory asked as she came back into the kitchen, looking over his shoulder at the book. “Oh, did you find anything more about the gun?”

  “Nothing we don’t already know, except that apparently we don’t have the right kind of ammunition these days that would fit.” I said. “I’m thinking that it has to be because the ammunition was just pure magic.”

  “Don’t be silly Az. You can’t make something like a bullet out of pure magic. It has to be made from something and formed into the shape.” Cory said, pouring a cup of coffee for each of us. “Maybe the people that found it didn’t find everything. There could have possibly been a few rounds of ammunition right there with it that are still buried in the same site.”

  “It’s possible.” I said lightly. “But I still doubt it. The way it was made is just unheard of for that time period. They didn’t only use metals, but they used plastics as well.”

  “Ya, that is pretty weird. But it’s not what we’re here to do, anyway.” Cory said, sliding the book away from Az. “We are here to find the gun. Not to try to figure out any of its secrets. We’re not experienced enough for something like that.”

  “Alright, fine.” I conceded. “Where do you think we need to look first? I don’t suppose a gun show rolled into town, do you?”

  “If you stole an artifact from one of the top-rated museums in the entire country, would you really take it to a place just to show it off?” Cory asked, raising her eyebrow. “What do people normally come to Vegas for?”

  “Well, I know they come to gamble and let loose. But why bring an old gun here, anyway? There’s nothing for them to do with it. As far
as anyone in history since it was found is concerned, it’s a useless weapon. They can’t fire it. All they could do is sell it to a collector or something.” I said, then paused for a second. “Ooohhh… Yeah, that’s what I would do with it. I think we should check out pawn shops and gun shops.”

  “That’s more like it. We’ll need a list of all the stores in the area that could fit the description.” Cory said, pulling out her phone.

  “Oh joy, research.” I moaned. “How about this, we head out right now and do a search while we walk?”

  I started toward the door, then swung back and filled a to-go mug with the finished brew. I grabbed my bag, stuffing the book back inside. Cory huffed and reluctantly followed behind after getting her own mug of coffee.

  Levi

  “Sir, we have the Sterling Giant gang waiting in the other room for their instructions.” A squat Ashen said as he opened the door leading into a hotel room. “They said they don’t have any more CHADOC, their supply was bought up pretty heavily.”

  A stocky man turned in his chair, away from the woman gyrating in a skimpy outfit.

  “Good, tell ‘em I’ll be there in a moment.” The man said before turning back to the woman. “Alright, time for me to get back to work. You stay here.”

  The Ashen led him out and they joined the men sitting and standing around the couches in the common area.

  “Boys.” The man said, nodding to them as a whole. “Back so soon, I see. I assume that you’ve been doing well with getting your CHADOC distributed?”

  “Levi.” The one sitting the most comfortably said, looking him in the eye squarely. “Of course we have. We’re the best gang there is around here.”

  “Good. Any troubles?” Levi asked, raising his eyebrows.

  “You know how the business goes. A customer can’t pay up, we take care of it. But, about half the ones that do pay up have been getting pretty aggressive lately, I lost two men last night to them psychos. What’s in this stuff?” The leader asked.

  “That’s none of your business.” Levi told him. “You only need to know that it is pure CHADOC, and that we have plenty where it came from for you to deal. Now, how much would you like this time?”

  “Nah man, we done.” The man said, shaking his head and making his dreadlocks quiver. “I aint puttin my guys through them crazies again.”

  “You seem to misunderstand, Henry. I'm not asking if you are going to continue. I’m asking how much you need as a replacement.” Levi said calmly. “You are going to continue working this operation whether you like it or not.”

  Henry sat straighter and glared at Levi.

  “Or what?” He asked belligerently. “You gonna kill me? Good luck, I have all my boys here. All you got is a Ashen.”

  “You're forgetting one other thing.” Levi told him. “You are a simple rat of a Shifter, while I am a Madgie. Madgie are far more powerful. Especially considering your animal is very weak. It’s more along the lines of a shock value at best.”

  “Who you callin’ weak, fat boy?” Henry asked heatedly. “I may not be as strong as some others with my Shift, but I can still paralyze you with just the right amount of force from my jaws.”

  “Yes, you probably could.” Levi said, unconcernedly looking at his hands. “But you also should realize that you’ve already lost.”

  “How’s that?” Henry asked.

  “Your men have already turned against you.” Levi said, motioning to the men behind Henry.

  Henry stood up and turned around, paling when he saw that all of them had a gun drawn and pointed at him. Raising his hands, he slowly sidestepped towards the door leading to the hallway.

  “Aight, I can see when I lose. Keep them, I don’t need no snakes in my crew.” Henry said acidly as he turned fully to the door.

  “One final thing Henry.” Levi said, waiting for the man to turn back to him.

  “Nobody goes against my wishes, especially when I am attempting to free my wife.” Levi said as he pulled out a green gun with gears on the top, slowly clicking as they wound through the base. Levi pulled the trigger and a green bullet shot toward the man, hitting him square in the chest. “Nobody that wishes to live, of course.”

  As Henry hits the floor, gasping for air, Levi turns back to the Ashen behind him.

  “Dump him somewhere, he’ll take care of himself soon enough.” Levi turned to the other members. “Who’s the new leader? And how much do you need?”

  A petite frame stepped forward and sat down across from Levi, crossing her legs.

  “That would be me. Veronica, at your service, sir.” She said.

  “Ah, a mutant. I like your kind.” Levi said with a wide smile. “So how much do you need? And will you be needing any new ammo?”

  “We will need a case, and the ammo is about half gone from what you originally gave us.” Veronica replied.

  “Half gone? I would have expected it to be depleted more than that due to what I’ve learned.” Levi said.

  “What are you talking about?” Veronica asked him.

  “I’m surprised you haven’t heard. It seems that the Wandering Knights have taken their name a little too seriously and are encroaching on other territories. Yours is the upper east side correct?” Levi asked. “Have you not had any problems with them yet?”

  “Barry, Carson, have we had any reports of poachers?” Veronica snapped, leaning back.

  “No, ma’am.” One man said. “We haven’t had any issues. But if what he says is true, I think we should get double what we had last time.”

  “Good idea Carson.” Veronica said, her eyes sending out sparks. “Those troll loving worms will rue the day they were born if they try to take my territory.”

  Cory

  “Well, that was the last of them in this direction.” I said as I slumped and leaned against the wall outside of a pawnshop. “I think we should head back to Caesar’s Palace and get some sleep before we go the other direction and look through more shops.”

  “That sounds good to me.” Az replied. “I’m dead. And starving. Think Pappy would be pissed if I ordered room service?”

  “Are you kidding? I’m pretty sure if we called down to the desk and asked for a golden egg, they’d find a way to grow a beanstalk and get into the giant's castle just to make us happy. And then would probably give us a pretty hefty discount. Especially after how that woman reacted when we asked about the room.” I said, waving my hand. “But don’t go overboard, I’m pretty sure that Pappy really would blow a vein if we did order too much. Besides, we have to get up early tomorrow morning to head out and look into more of these shops.”

  “Ugh, fine.” Az grumbled. “But I want a good breakfast tomorrow if we’re going to be out this long again tomorrow.”

  “Ya, sure.” I said idly, “I guess it really has been a while.”

  We get back to the hotel and head up to the suite. I asked him to order me a cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate shake before heading to my room to change into something more comfortable. Pulling out my suitcase, I reach in and rummage around for a moment before reaching further, going up to my elbow, and then further again until the edge covers my shoulder. Letting out a brief exclamation, I pull my arm back, holding a pair of purple silk pajama bottoms and a lightweight pale blue tank top. Kicking off my flats, I changed quickly, then headed back down to the kitchen area. Az was nowhere in sight, probably changing, but had left the book out. I sat at the island and pulled the book closer, flipping pages lightly and looking at everything listed before the gun we were tracking.

  What in the world would anyone want with a butter knife that always makes the best sandwich you'll ever have, but also poisons you? I thought while looking at a page.

  A knock came at the door and I closed the book, shook my head and muttered, “People are so bloody weird.”

  Walking to the door, I opened it, but didn’t see anyone standing there. Poking my head out the door, I looked toward the elevator and couldn’t see anyone. Then I looked
down, expecting a tray of our food. But instead found a small box sitting by the threshold. Picking it up, I closed the door and brought it in, setting it on a chair close to the island.

  “Was that the food? I’m starving.” Az said as he came down the stairs, now dressed in an old t-shirt and basketball shorts.

  “No, there wasn’t anyone there, just a-” I cut off when there was another knock at the door.

  Az beat me to it and opened it to show a man standing behind a cart with a few covered dishes.

  “Room service.” He said as he smiled at Az. “May I come in?”

  “Sure, just push it over by the island.” Az said, stepping aside. “I’m so glad you came, I am STARVING.”

  “Sounds like I came just in time.” The man said, stopping the cart by the island and moving the dishes onto the top. “We wouldn’t like any of our guests to go hungry.”

  “Oh, he’s just being melodramatic.” I told the man. “But thank you for bringing this up. Here’s your tip.”

  He took the folded bill and smiled warmly.

  “Thank you. Let us know if you need anything else. The kitchen does close in about an hour, so anything you order would need to be at least fifteen minutes before that.”

  He walked out with his cart and closed the door behind him.

  “Foooood!” Az said longingly, heading to the dishes and started uncovering them. “Oh wait, what was it you were saying?”

  “Oh, there was a box sitting on the ground when I opened the door before.” I said as I pulled my cheeseburger closer. “There wasn’t a note or anything with it, just a blank unmarked box sitting there.”

  “And what did you do with it?” Az asked warily.