When the movie finished at 11:00 p.m., Gregory yawned and stretched. “I’m going to call it a night. It’s rare I get to go to bed this early and I’m going to take advantage of it. I doubt we will hear anything before morning so I suggest you get a good night’s sleep, too, if you can.” He nodded at us and went into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Tony nodded, too. “Go to bed, Doll. My body is still on west coast time and I don’t need that much sleep anyway, so I’m going to get caught up on some emails. I’ll be in to bed in awhile.” He gave me a kiss and a little shove.
I knew I needed the sleep after two very short nights, so headed into bed, Fudge following. Despite all the tension, I dropped off quickly and barely felt Tony crawl into the other side of the bed some time later.
Chapter 5
It was still dark when I woke but Tony was already out of bed. I pulled on the robe so graciously provided by the hotel and stumbled into the living room to find him and Gregory sipping coffee and sharing the morning paper.
“Good morning,” Gregory greeted me. “I ordered enough coffee for ten, knowing how you like your caffeine jolt.”
I mumbled “Morning” back and after pouring myself a cup from the urn, slumped on the couch. Tony wordlessly handed me his laptop, knowing I wake up by checking social networking.
I also remembered to check my email for the first time in over a day. Shit. With all the turmoil, I’d forgotten I was supposed to have submitted a draft of my next paranormal romance book to my editor the day before. I thought it was done but always like to have one more read-through before sending a manuscript off.
Although I could have accessed my documents stored in the Cloud, read it and fired it off, I knew a couple of things. First, I wasn’t in the right frame of mind nor did I think I had the time to read it all the way through or make any changes. Second, even though Tony knew what I did in secret in my spare time, neither Ev nor Gregory did. I wasn’t ready to entrust Gregory with yet another secret he had to keep from Ev. I replied with a very terse, “Sorry. Something’s come up. Will get it to you within the week.” I’d never been late with a submission before so hoped I’d be forgiven.
Two cups of coffee later, I felt awake enough to turn on the news. It was only 8:00 a.m., yet the first station I found was already on a national program. Flipping channels, I finally found one that would give me the local weather. A quirk of mine: I like to know what it’s going to be like outside no matter where I am – even in an office. It was supposed to be a wonderful spring day with highs in the 70’s. What a change from Minnesota! The anchor had just started a story about an accident on the freeway, commenting that it was a good thing it was Saturday or it would tie up rush hour traffic when, with another ‘poof’, a piece of parchment appeared on the coffee table. Before I could reach for it, Gregory snatched it and read it aloud:
Welcome to Atlanta. We hope you are enjoying your luxurious accommodations and slept well last night. Transfer our money from your suitcase to a large ladies’ carryall. This afternoon, you will attend the 2:00 p.m. tour of the Cyclorama in Grant Park. There is no assigned seating so be early enough to ensure you sit in the second-from-the-front row, third seat in from the right. Enjoy the docent’s commentary and be sure to leave the bag under your seat as you leave. We’ll be in touch.
“Whoever is doing this is good. They’re leaving no magical signature at all for me to read,” Gregory said.
Tony reached his hand out. “May I see it?”
Gregory handed him the parchment and Tony, just like the dog he was, took a good, long smell.
“Whoever wrote this is a werewolf. And it’s been near pine trees. Oak and maple, too, if I don’t miss my guess, and another tree or shrub I’m not familiar with. They’re in the woods.”
“That ties with Amy’s dreams,” Gregory answered. “A were, you say? Then we have at least one witch or wizard and probably two or three male weres in on this. It would take that amount of strength to subdue and then carry Ev. Do you know the local clan leader?”
“Not personally, but I know who it is and can call him. I’ll work on that angle. I presume you have magical contacts here you can call.”
“Of course.” Gregory turned to me. “Amy, there are shops down in the Atrium that sell ladies accessories and I believe there is a luggage shop, too. You will need to buy something that fits the description.
“They’re probably not open yet so enjoy your coffee. I’m going to take a shower and by the time I’m done, it should be a decent enough hour to call people.” He headed into his bedroom and closed the door. Shortly, we heard the sound of the shower running.
Knowing I had at least a couple hours to kill, I poured myself another cup, and turning my attention back to the computer, looked up “Cyclorama”. Interesting. A diorama depicting a battle from the Civil War. What caught my eye, though, was it was right next to the Atlanta Zoo and they had pandas!
“I know it’s a non sequitur to all this but since they specified two o’clock, do you suppose we could kill some time and go early enough to see the pandas?” I asked. “I’ve never seen one in person before and they’re so cute in pictures.”
“I don’t see why not but let’s find out what Gregory has in mind. If there isn’t time, I promise to bring you back here just so we can go see the pandas, okay?” Tony nuzzled my hair. “I’m going to go shower and then I’d like you to take yours right away so the sound isn’t in the background while I’m on the phone.”
That left me and the television. And Fudge. As soon as Tony went into the bedroom, the cat came out and curled up in the just-vacated spot. It was almost like a Saturday at home except I was a thousand miles away and probably about to get myself into a world of trouble.
As soon as I finished drying my hair, Tony came into the bathroom and cleaned my brush. “What are you doing?” I asked.
“When you buy your bag, be sure it has an unzippered outside pocket. I want to put your hair in it so I can track the bag.”
“You can do that?” I knew weres had keen noses but…
“If the scent is really familiar, as yours is to me, yes. I can find you within fifty miles or so. Other aromas within maybe ten, if I have a good enough sample first. It also depends on air quality. Smog, like in Los Angeles, severely limits the range.”
Wow. I was finding out all sorts of new things. Creepy things, too. I’m not sure I liked the fact that my scent was almost as good as a GPS to him and his kind. There was nothing I could do about it at the moment, so I finished dressing and, grabbing my purse, went shopping.
Finding a ladies’ bag the size of a small suitcase wasn’t a problem. While I favored as small a purse as I could get away with, a lot of women like being able to carry the kitchen sink. I cringed as I handed over my credit card for a leather Etienne Aigner, priced almost twice what I’d pay at a regular shopping mall. “It’ll go on the expense report,” I told myself.
I walked back in the room to find Tony watching a muted television and Gregory just completing a phone call. They both approved of my purchase. Gregory transferred the money from the suitcase, zipped it shut and handed it to Tony, who stuffed a few strands of my hair down into the outer compartment presumably designed to hold a cell phone.
“Tony told me you want to go see the pandas. As much as I would like to indulge you, I’d feel better if we weren’t carrying around a half million dollars in a crowded zoo on a Saturday,” Gregory told me. To be honest, I hadn’t thought about it that way but he was right.
Noon saw more room service for lunch. I may like being indulged on occasion but I was getting tired of the hotel room, suite or not. Finally about one, Gregory stood. “Amy, give your wallet to Tony and put your mobile phone down in the pocket over your hair so it will smell like the hair just drifted down there. You need to look like you’re only carrying the one handbag.”
I retrieved the items from my purse and handed my wallet to Tony, who put it in an inside pocket in his
jacket. I grabbed my coat, slung the bag over my shoulder (it was heavy), and we trooped down to a waiting limo. I teased Gregory about being able to sit in the back seat.
“It does feel strange not to drive. Even when I go on vacation, I rent a car,” he grimaced. “But I don’t know the city so…”
Within minutes, we pulled up to the gates of Grant Park. Gregory reminded the driver that he should wait for us and that we expected to be a little over an hour, then he led the way to the building that housed the Cyclorama. I could easily have spent hours wandering around the neighborhood, looking at the Victorian architecture but time was short, so we got in line, purchased our tickets and sat through a quick film about the history of the painting before we were escorted up into the room housing the painting itself.
My luck was running true to form. We weren’t quick enough and someone took the designated seat. It appeared to be a family because a small child was sitting where I was supposed to leave the bag. Gregory heaved a quiet sigh and went to speak with the man who was probably the father. It took some doing but after four people in the front row were paid off and moved a few rows back, the family moved down one row and we took our seats. I placed the bag between my feet. I’m certain everyone thought we were crazy because all eight of them took time to stare at us before relocating.
“What did you tell them?” I asked in a low voice.
Gregory grinned. “That the two of you were on your honeymoon and you wanted to sit in the same seats you had when Tony proposed. I also suggested you might be someone famous to explain my presence. Hence the stares.”
The lights dimmed and if I hadn’t been so nervous, I would have been fascinated by the presentation and viewing of the world’s largest oil painting. Twenty-some minutes later, the guide had answered the last question from the audience and everyone was leaving. I grabbed my cell phone and shoved the bag under the seat with my foot as I stood, looking around to see if anyone was watching.
“Do you see anyone suspicious?” I whispered to Tony.
“No, nor do I smell the person who wrote it, although a crowd of about a hundred people can easily disguise individual scents, especially when some of them reek of baby vomit.”
Eew. I was glad I couldn’t smell that.
“Let’s get a funnel cake,” Gregory said over his shoulder on the way out. “I haven’t had one of those in a long time.”
In as leisurely a manner as we could, we bought funnel cakes and coffees, found a bench with a view of the entrance to the Cyclorama and sat down to eat. Neither man paid a lot of attention to what he was doing – they both had powdered sugar down the front of their jackets. That was to be expected when eyes weren’t on the flimsy paper plate but on the crowd. And me without my regular purse and wet naps!
Just as I finished the last bite, Tony very quietly said, “There. The woman in the blue coat has the bag and she’s with the guy in the distressed brown leather jacket.” He took a long breath with his mouth open.
I looked toward the entrance to see the couple Tony had indicated and she was most definitely hauling the bag I’d purchased that morning. She was a few inches taller than me, brunette and built like an athlete. He looked something like a blond version of Tony…around six feet tall and also athletically built, but then again, most weres were. They didn’t look unusual, just a middle-class couple out enjoying the spring day. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were talking about what they’d just seen at the Cyclorama. For all I knew, they were. They would have had to sit through the presentation, wouldn’t they?
“I see them,” Gregory said just as quietly. “Let them go. As long as you can track Amy’s hair, we don’t want to attract attention and jeopardize getting Ev back. But now we know at least one of the perpetrators is a woman. We’ll wait a few minutes to let them think they’re safe, then go back to the hotel and put the next phase into operation.”
“Phase?” I asked.
“Yes. Getting not only Ev but the money back. And finding out who’s behind it all.”
Gregory called the driver from his cell and by the time we’d wended our way through the crowd and out to the street, he was waiting with the car door open. Tony paused to take a sniff before getting into the back seat.
Once we were seated with me in the middle and the privacy glass up, I turned to Gregory. “What do you mean ‘getting the money back’? I don’t give a shit about that, I just want Ev in one piece.”
Gregory shifted in his seat to face me. “First, no one, not even the mundane police, would not try to get the money back. The kidnappers know this and expect it. Second, to ensure at least this one person doesn’t try it again, we need to know who’s behind it and deal with him or her.”
Tony put his hand on my arm. “Most kidnappings don’t come with nasty beatings, Doll. Gregory and I both agree this is something personal. If we let whoever it is get away with it, they’ll probably just do it again.”
He leaned forward so he could talk to Gregory around me. “The woman carrying the bag is your note author. The guy is also a were. But I don’t think she’s strong enough to have had a hand in capturing Ev. So there are more.”
Gregory nodded. We were silent for the rest of the drive back to the hotel.
Back in the room, Tony made a phone call. “They’re headed north. Do you know anyone north of the city?”
He listened for a moment. “Hmm. I’ll need some help. Two or three of your guys ought to do it. How much?”
More listening. “Have them on standby. I’ll call you when I know more.” He hung up.
“What was that all about?” I asked.
“The local clan leader. Their territory extends up to the Tennessee and North Carolina state lines so the city folks have room to run when they need it. But he tells me there are plenty of rogues in the mountains with lots of places for them to stay out of the clan’s way. I just hired some muscle if we need it.”
“Thank you,” Gregory said. “North, eh?” He pulled a map out of the desk drawer. “Look. There are a lot of woods and hills once you get out of Atlanta and its suburbs. What do you think?”
Tony looked over Gregory’s shoulder. “Got a car reserved?” Gregory nodded. “Okay, I suggest we head up this highway, get out of the city and then let me take another sniff. Say about here,” he pointed. “If I do it there, we’ll know whether we need to head west, east or continue northbound.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Gregory said. “We will stay here until the next note arrives and then leave. Amy, does Fudge travel well without a carrier or do I need to get one?”
“He’s fine without one, why?”
“I don’t know when or if we will be back here so I certainly want to bring him with us. I can magically get his things from here if need be.”
“No problem. He’ll sit quietly in my arms. At least he usually does when I take him up north with me.”
At the sound of his name, Fudge strolled out of the bedroom, bumped my leg and meowed for further attention. Of course, I obeyed, picked him up and scratched between his ears.
“Nothing to do now but wait. I’m going to take a nap. Call me if anything happens.” Gregory went into his room.
“I have some work to do and I’ll use the desk in the bedroom,” Tony said. That left me and Fudge to watch television, curled up together on the couch.
I’d just turned on a soccer match when another note poofed its way onto the coffee table. “Hey guys,” I yelled. “The next note is here.”
Both men strolled out of their respective rooms and coming to stand behind me, read over my shoulder.
Trying to keep tabs on us and the money with a were and hair wasn’t part of our agreement. Mr. Wellington is well known to some of us, as is his relationship with you, Miss McCollum. Therefore, if you want Evander back in nearly one piece, an additional $500,000 will be required. You have two days to make those arrangements without leaving Atlanta. We will be in touch.
“What the fuck do we do now?
” I was so angry I could spit nails. “Another half mil is going to break the bank.”
“Now even I’m upset,” Gregory said. “Normally, kidnappings are just a game. This is going beyond that.”
“And how the hell do they know me?” Tony was befuddled. “I don’t have any business in Atlanta, didn’t know the weres we saw at the park and didn’t smell anyone familiar around.”
My fists clenched, I started crying and then started shaking. So did the building.
“Bloody hell. Amy. You’re an Earth witch. Calm yourself, girl!” Gregory’s eyes were wide open and it seemed he couldn’t close his mouth, either.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I was so upset I was almost screaming. Fudge rose from his spot on the other side of the couch, draped himself on my chest, nuzzled my shoulder and purred very loudly.
“Doll, please try to calm yourself,” Tony said as he sat next to me and put his hand on my shoulder.
“Amy, please, take deep breaths and calm down. You’re radiating so much energy you’re causing an earthquake. I promise I will explain but you need to pull yourself together right now.” Gregory stood in front of me with a very concerned look on his face.
I took several gulps of air and my tears subsided to sniffles. The building stilled. “What the hell?” I asked.
“Tony, fix her a drink, would you? She needs one.” Gregory sat down on the coffee table in front of me.
“Amy, according to what you told me and what I’ve seen over the past two days, your powers are starting to manifest. I know you think you’re too old but you’re just a late bloomer. Unfortunately, they’re manifesting in a big way. Although any witch or wizard can work with any element, we usually have an affinity for one. I work most easily with Air. That’s why transporting Fudge’s things here wasn’t difficult for me. Cassandra works best with Earth. That’s why her garden is so lush and she’s such a good cook.”
He took the drink from Tony and handed it to me. “Take a swig of this.”
Upheaval! Page 5
