“You are right to back away, miserable human. If Phoenix is weak enough to walk by your side as if you were an equal, that is his business, but I want you and your human stink at a distance that shows your inferiority properly.”
Kaiko spit out these words with such disgust and with such cruelty that it left me speechless. Phoenix reacted for me, drawing back his lips to reveal his fangs.
“Be careful what you say, Kaiko, or I will make you swallow your insults and your fangs with them.”
They faced each other in a concert of threatening growls—the effect was startling.
Ichimi spoke up. “How about you just say what you want from us so we can be done with you and your human plaything?” He seemed perfectly bored by what was happening right in front of him; he even stifled a yawn.
My boss outlined their mission without ever going further than absolutely necessary in the details; he never mentioned the role I’d taken either. He asked them if they were up to the task.
Kaiko lifted her chin defiantly. “Do you think we are incompetent?”
Phoenix’s sardonic smile reappeared. “You can interpret it as you like.”
Provoking her no longer seemed like a fun idea when she readied to attack him again. Fortunately, Ichimi grabbed her and quickly pulled her back.
“Shut up, woman. You are being ridiculous. As for you, angel, keep an eye on your phone.”
He turned around, opened the door, and left with his lover trailing after him, but not without her giving us one last murderous look.
“I want to leave.”
After what I’d just witnessed, I’d had my fill of vampires for the night.
“Come.”
I followed my boss back to the car, hurrying to get in. I only felt better once we were out of the secured area.
“Breathe, Samantha.”
“It’s OK . . . I’m fine . . . It’s just that . . .”
“Kaiko and Ichimi?”
“Yes.”
“I told you that you would understand why I do not like them. Their arrogance and their disdain of others, humans most of all, disgusts me. Ichimi is slightly less expressive than his lover because of the samurai code, but that does not mean he thinks any differently than she does.”
“Why does she hate you?”
The memory of the murderous desire shining in Kaiko’s eyes made me shiver.
“I don’t know.”
“You never took the time to find out?”
“Kaiko is wild and maniacal. Talking to her serves no purpose . . . what’s more, just looking at her makes me want to kill her, so I prefer to avoid long conversations.”
“But Talanus and Ysis seem to appreciate the two of them. There must be a reason.”
Phoenix sighed.
“They have known each other since the Middle Ages, since Ichimi saved Talanus in the Balkans more than six hundred years ago. After the discovery of the New World, when Talanus and Ysis were chosen by the Elders to run the new sector here, Ichimi was sent back to Japan, where his presence was required. It was then that he met Kaiko. I know they always stayed in contact with Talanus, and when Ichimi was free of his obligations after the death of his sector leader, he accepted his old friend’s offer to come join him here. It was just after I had taken up the post of angel. Since then, they have been inseparable. Talanus thinks that Bushido made Ichimi an honorable man . . . People change . . . but I cannot call my master’s choices into question.”
He’d paid the price for that, as I’d seen.
“Pff. I think I’ve overdosed on vampires.”
“Thanks a lot,” Phoenix said, smiling.
He knew I wasn’t including him with that group.
“It was a lot all at once. Did they organize a meeting before we got there or what?”
“The mood in town is tense with all these disappearances . . . The Secret is in ever more danger.”
“Is that why the Elders are likely to come?”
“All this has not fallen on deaf ears as far as I can tell. The ones we call the Elders, or the Greats, are ten of the oldest and wisest vampires in our community. The youngest is a thousand years old. They live in the Balkans, and their mission is to ensure the preservation of the secret of our existence. They are surrounded by a substantial number of people in their service who are responsible for reading all the reports sent in from sector leaders the world over and for warning them of potential threats. No one would ever lie to them, because they have spy networks everywhere. Even if they had wanted to, Talanus and Ysis could not have hidden this blood trafficking for a long time. These people are the highest authority for our species, and it is impossible to flout our laws without them finding you and making you pay a steep price . . . If the Elders come here, it will be to clean up the region. They will begin by replacing Talanus, Ysis, and me before tackling the trafficking problem. They will find them, you can be sure of that. And their punishment will be dreadful.”
“What will you do if they fire you?”
“Nothing. I will be dead.”
“What?”
“When the Greats intervene somewhere, it is not good for the sector leader or the angel. They are executed if it turns out that incompetence of one or the other has endangered the Secret.”
Finding out that Phoenix’s life depended on the dismantling of a blood-trafficking ring heightened my need to resolve this whole affair.
“Why are we waiting to check out the clubs?” I declared forcefully.
Phoenix seemed surprised by my determination and raised his eyebrows.
“I thought I would bring you back to Scarborough. This evening has not been very easy for you.”
“Are you joking? Turn around now and head to the Sexy Thong Show.”
An idea came to me as I was talking, and I thought it was a good one. After all, we needed a hand.
“I do not think that going to Bill Miller’s establishment is smart—unless we want to put him on alert.”
“I don’t want to go to Bill’s. You’ll park far away and let me handle it.”
I wasn’t ready to reveal my plan to him, for I was too focused on what I wanted to say.
“What do you have in mind?” he insisted.
“Shh. I’m thinking.”
His response was a deep growl that made me realize I was truly exasperating my chauffeur. Too bad.
When we arrived in the east neighborhoods of Kerington, I knew what I had to do.
“The club is three blocks ahead. Should I keep going?”
“No, here’s fine.”
He parked the car, and I took my bag and stepped out. Before closing my door, I leaned back in. “Give me all the cash you have on you.”
“Excuse me?”
“I know you always carry a substantial sum in case you need it. Hurry up! We don’t have all night,” I ordered, and he grudgingly obeyed. “Wait for me here. I won’t be long . . . and don’t follow me by flying.”
“But . . .”
Wham! I slammed the door, too much in a hurry to hear his complaints. I headed to my destination at a swift pace, but I didn’t run to avoid attracting attention. At Sexy Thong Show’s street corner, I saw what I was looking for . . .
Luckily my coat had a hood. I didn’t want the bouncer to recognize me. With my face nicely hidden, I headed for the gaggle of noisy and formidable Dark Angels, aiming particularly for their leader, Bobby the Eel, who was recognizable by his abundant curly hair.
These wannabe gangsters seemed dumbfounded by the sight of a woman walking alone toward them without the smallest sign of anxiety. Two of them—enormous, unshaven, and tattooed to the upper neck—blocked my path, doubtless to remind the innocent woman (that I wasn’t) that I was supposed to cross to the other side of the street and keep my head down.
“I need to talk to your boss. Get out of my way, or I’ll break your arms,” I said loudly so Bobby could hear me.
The two watchdogs didn’t take my threat seriously and, laughing, ma
de to come closer. One of them had arms double the size of my thighs; tattoos of “Mom” and “I love you” spoiled the image of the thick brute.
As I prepared to get rid of them, I heard, “Hey, hey, hey! Careful, guys! If I was you, I’d let the lady pass before you end up on the ground with your arm ripped off, crying for your momma.”
The Eel saved them from a tight spot; considering my foul mood, I wouldn’t have given them any mercy. They scattered, letting me pass through without fully understanding how a woman with such a small build could have done them any harm.
“Bobby the Eel, I’m happy to see that you and your Dark Angels are faithfully at your post,” I greeted him.
He seemed flattered that I remembered him and his gang. The bigwigs in general don’t deal with small-time thugs who think of themselves as sheriffs.
“Miss I-Don’t-Know-Your-Name, thrilled to see you again.”
He hadn’t forgotten to be polite around me. Gold star for him, but I didn’t have time to waste.
“I have some work for you and your guys. Discretion and danger are givens. Can we talk elsewhere? I don’t like the neighbors much . . .”
I tilted my head in the direction of the strip club and its bouncer, who was watching us, curious to know who was there and why, for once, no one was brawling.
“Follow me,” said Bobby.
I trailed the Eel to an alley down the street. Only a few months before this, the idea of following a guy in a leather jacket into a dark alley wouldn’t have crossed my mind unless it was in a nightmare. It was crazy how I’d changed since my arrival at the manor in Scarborough.
“I’m listening,” he said.
Bobby had intuited the importance of my arrival, and he wasn’t even strutting. He was completely serious.
“Have you been hearing about all these disappearances happening around here?” I asked.
“I know that it’s worse than what they say on TV. I have a friend—she’s a junkie—she vanished and no one did anything to find her.”
“My boss and I are looking for the ones behind all that. I can’t tell you everything, but we think that the mafiosi who came here recently from China are part of it. You know a lot of people in the poorer parts of town. I want you to open your eyes and ears wide so we can find out where the strangers are hiding.”
“If it’s the Chinese, they must do their business in the Chinatown clubs, where we won’t be welcome.”
“We’ve already looked there. But if they want to go unnoticed, they won’t compete against their own on shared turf. There’s no national solidarity in the mafia. They all have their own territories. I think they’re aiming for an entirely different clientele, which is where you can help me. But be careful. Don’t approach them under any circumstances. These men are murderers, and they will kill you all to preserve their anonymity. The only thing I ask is that you call me if you learn something useful.”
Bobby considered my proposition while biting his nails. “You’re offering us work, sure, OK, but we’ll be the ones risking our necks out there. I’m not sure . . .”
He seemed almost afraid, and his expression set my nerves to boil. When I spoke again, it was with a glacial and contemptuous tone.
“I see I was mistaken about you. You want people to respect you as an enforcer, but when someone proposes a job in that regard, you hesitate, too terrified to act. I don’t want to deal with idiots. I’m going to go find a gang that’s worth the effort.”
I turned and strode away briskly. My plan just collapsed, and the countdown to Phoenix’s death continued.
“Wait!”
I stopped without turning around, hearing someone run toward me. Bobby the Eel caught up and blocked my path.
“It’s a deal.”
I raised an eyebrow to show that I found his sudden change of heart surprising.
“If we want people to respect us, we can’t be afraid to get our hands dirty. I’ve acted like a coward, but I guarantee you it won’t happen again. Give me your number, and I promise you we’ll find your Chink—I mean, your Chinese mafiosi.”
I glared at him, inspecting him to make sure I could count on him: his need to make his gang essential within the mafia was very strong. He would do what I asked.
“My name is Samantha Jones. Here’s my number,” I said, offering him my card, ignoring Bobby’s smirk at the mention of my name, so well chosen by my boss who had never seen Sex and the City. “Memorize it, then destroy the card. You will be the only one I talk to. Your friends will only know the minimum, and they must do everything in their power to avoid being found out.”
He nodded.
“Oh, I forgot something.” I took from my bag the fat wad of cash I’d taken from my boss. “Here’s an advance to give you another source of motivation. Nothing is free. You’ll have double that if you help us catch these men.”
Taking the money and realizing how much he had in his hands, I thought his eyeballs would bulge out of their sockets.
“Do we have a deal?” I asked to end the conversation.
“We have a deal,” he replied, offering me his hand to shake on it.
“One last thing. When all this is over, you’ll forget all about this. Our deal, my existence, and that of my boss. Got it?”
I didn’t really want to sound too commanding in that moment, but my words smacked the air like an order that would suffer no response.
Bobby the Eel gawked at me a few seconds before nodding again to show he agreed.
Without another look, I turned back to rejoin the man who was going to give me the scolding of the century once he learned what I’d done.
“Took you long enough.”
Phoenix’s tone was aggressive, and his eyes were brighter than usual.
“It’s nice of you to be worried about me,” I mocked as I settled into the passenger side.
He groaned before answering. “I really do not like this.”
“It’s the same for everyone, don’t worry.”
He started the car and turned back to the manor. I was totally exhausted, but I couldn’t sleep; I had to tell Phoenix about the agreement I’d made with the Dark Angels, and there were some questions I wanted to ask him. Unable to wait any longer, he beat me to it, getting the conversation rolling.
“Are you going to tell me now what you were doing? I thought I was going crazy waiting in this damn car for you to come back.”
I smiled, taking an obvious pleasure in hearing him complain.
“Calm down. I went to see the bikers from the other night. I’ve given them their first real gangster work.”
Phoenix gritted his teeth so hard I could hear them grinding against each other. Oops. I had serious reason to worry.
“Elaborate, please.”
“You remember Bobby the Eel? He and his gang will be our eyes and ears in the bars and clubs of east Kerington in exchange for financial compensation.”
“You told him why, I assume.” His voice was just above a whisper . . . probably to avoid yelling at me.
“I didn’t tell him anything important, and the disappearances aren’t a secret. He only knows that he needs to call me if he hears anything about our Chinese men.”
He exhaled, as though he were relieved that my initiative hadn’t been the catastrophe he was expecting. Thanks for your confidence, Phoenix.
“I hope you know what you are doing.”
“You said yourself that we need help, so might as well take it where we can get it. Besides, I don’t think our vampires will take their business to Chinatown. That part will keep Kaiko and Ichimi busy, at least.”
“Why did you not say anything about this earlier?”
“I thought that giving them a bone to chew on would get them out of our way without offending them.”
Phoenix smiled. “When you put it like that, I think I should congratulate you instead of strangling you.”
“Well, given the amount of money you’ll have to pay our informants, I would prefer t
hat, yes. And while I’m thinking about it, who are Karl and François?”
“My friends.”
So I was finally going to know the ones who’d figured out how to soften up my boss. I was waiting for him to continue in order to satisfy my curiosity, but Phoenix still had some difficulty sustaining a conversation, the numbskull.
“And? Is there any more?” I grumbled.
“Oh. Karl and François are my closest friends, or rather my only friends. Hm, except for you, now.”
Good save.
“I met Karl Sarlsberg in Northern France during the time of the sixth Italian war, from 1521 to 1526, which was between Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire and the French king François I. It was complete chaos at the time, and for a vampire, it was an ideal scenario for feeding without suspicion. Karl still considered himself a subject of the Holy Roman Empire, and so he was laying waste to the French garrisons. We met when he was being pursued by a group of soldiers who took him for a spy. The imbeciles . . .”
There again, Phoenix didn’t want to shock me by putting into words what those soldiers suffered, but this time I wouldn’t settle for omission.
“You helped him?”
I already knew his answer.
“Yes. I was still a young vampire, I was hungry, and despite the training of my master, Finn, who had left to get supplies in a nearby village, I could not resist. We massacred them.”
Phoenix got quiet, letting me absorb his words.
“At the time, violence was wholly a part of me. I could not resist the urge. It was in my nature. It took a long time to be able to control myself. Believe me, a hundred years with Finn was not overlong.”
What I was hearing was enough to make my hair stand on end, but sometimes things happened and it wasn’t worth stewing over them. The vampire next to me surely no longer resembled the vampire he’d been just after his transformation. I knew he had killed; he’d told me that much. I also knew that since then, in a certain way, in his role as an angel, he was also saving hundreds of lives, just like he was protecting my own.
Samantha Watkins: Chronicles of an Extraordinary Ordinary Life (Samantha Watkins Series Book 1) Page 19
