“You’re a helpful guy, Avi. And you’re gonna help us out a lot tonight. Now I’m not gonna hurt you. I need that girl you were hooking up with to see you in one piece so she’ll deliver her boyfriend to us.” She licked the side of his face. “Yeah. She has a boyfriend, you naughty Ned and he’s a bad guy. So,” she backed up so Avi could see her eyes, “since he probably is going to hurt you. I’ll try to make sure you’re feeling really good by the time he gets here. Okay?”
He glared at her and struggled against the ropes.
“Now you’re very pretty but I don’t want you looking around at our little workroom.” She kissed the ball in his mouth. “So sorry about this.”
Vanessa slipped a cloth shopping bag from Trader Joe’s over his head and stepped off the chair to unzip Avi’s pants. She had to work to pull the cloth down off his massive thighs, revealing bright red boxer-briefs. She’d bent to take off his Timberland boots when she heard the chime indicating the lock on the door being disengaged.
“What the fuck are you doing, Vanessa?”
Damn. Edgar.
Fifteen
Kissy felt the pounding of the beat from the rave against her back as she crouched between the wall and the steel table beside the door. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried desperately to calm her heartbeat. If it weren’t for the music, they’d totally hear it. As it was she was incredibly lucky the woman had been facing away when she followed Mr. E into the back room.
She wished again for a change of clothes. Red sparkly dresses weren’t really made for spy work. Although Jennifer Garner had probably pulled it off in a thousand episodes of Alias. Kissy had piled her long hair on top of her head with a sharp chopstick stolen from a transvestite’s Geisha up do. That helped. She’d intended to take off the heels, but a quick glance at the floor had changed her mind.
Her breath a bit calmer, she peered through the white plastic 5 liter bottles lined up on the shelves of her hiding spot. She could see Avi’s legs, his pants bunched at the ankles, held on by his boots. She could also see a petite woman in a 1920s flapper outfit sliding a knife up Avi’s inner thigh.
“I’m just having a little fun while we wait for the KC’s girlfriend to bring him to the rescue. She won’t very well help us if her boy toy’s life isn’t actually in danger,” the blond crooned.
Kissy saw a bright red spot bloom just above Avi’s knee. Then the blood dripped down his leg.
Mr. E sounded frustrated. “I threatened the girl herself, Vanessa. Why bring another person into it?”
“Fine,” Vanessa huffed. “If it’ll make you happy, I’ll just kill him now.”
The knife suddenly disappeared above Kissy sightline. She pulled herself up and tripped out of her hiding place, screaming as she grabbed something heavy off the table on her way to attack Vanessa. Mr. E was in her way. He turned in shock as she raised her found weapon and brought it down with all her might on his skull. Without stopping she spun to face Vanessa and suddenly felt two sharp stings hit her. One in her shoulder and one right between her breasts. She convulsed as every muscle in her body contracted and released, dropping her to the floor where she hit her head hard on the cement. As her head bounced up, she saw Avi struggling behind a laughing Vanessa who was holding a taser.
Sixteen
Tim knew Kissy wasn’t going to wait. He slid his Harley to a stop right by the front door to the warehouse club. She wasn’t there. He slowly cruised around the building, looking for alternate doors, windows, fire escapes. Almost directly opposite the front entrance he found a fire escape shoot that hung from a blacked out third story window. He parked the bike and took a running leap to catch the bottom of the cloth and metal tube. He climbed up the outside, using the brick wall to brace his feet. When he got to the window Tim braced his feet against the sill. Holding onto the fire shoot with his right hand, he used his left to slip a glass cutting protractor out of his boot. He licked the suction cup and went to work, slowly cutting a large hole in the glass.
After a peek inside clarified that the window was not under apparent surveillance, Tim slipped a hand in and popped the catches on the top of the fire escape. The noxious fumes that surrounded him reinforced his choice to climb the outside of the tube. Clearly this was where Mr. E was cooking his drugs. Tim slipped in and set the glass circle on the floor. He reaffixed the tube and then crouched low on the metal walkway. Hearing muffled voices, Tim moved toward them until the walkway ended.
He climbed over the railing, dropped to an I-beam, and carefully made his way one step at a time to a place just over one of the rails that crisscrossed the room about ten feet above the floor. He paused there, listening for a few moments as he removed his belt. A sexy female voice, low and seductive was lecturing.
“I don’t blame her for trying, Avi. You are a very nice specimen. And I imagine dating a killer can be pretty trying on a girl. Even though that after kill high must make for some amazing sex, a girl gets bored with one flavor.”
Tim heard what sounded like a wooden chair being dragged around.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt her. These handcuffs have some very good memories for me.”
Tim slid off the beam and used his belt to lower himself to the rail. He ran along the track, balancing on the thin metal and swinging around the supporting chains holding it to the ceiling until he reached a spot where he could see the woman.
She was connecting wires on some device along the wall speaking quietly, almost to herself. When she was done, she flipped the light switch beside the door a few times. Nothing happened but she seemed satisfied.
She sneered, “Now that’s all set.”
Then she crossed lazily to Avi.
Tim assumed it was Avi despite the Trader Joe’s bag over his head. She had to step over the body of Mr. E lying on the floor. But it was the figure in the chair that made Tim catch his breath.
Kissy. Her head lolled to one side and she slumped, barely staying in the chair. Her dress had ridden up far enough to show she was wearing gartered stockings, a fact that made him have to consciously force the blood back to his brain.
Tim didn’t know what had happened to Mr. E but it was good luck that he only had this woman to deal with. He needed to act before his client regained consciousness. This was as simple as the situation was going to get.
The woman bent to remove Avi’s shoes but kept peering over her shoulder at Kissy. She got one boot off before she lost her cool.
She stalked over to Kissy. “What have you got that you can land two hunks? I’m as thin as you. I have boobs. I’m a fucking genius in the sack. What’s–” she cut herself off and flicked up the hem of Kissy’s short dress revealing a policeman’s shield hooked to her garter. “You’re a cop too?” The woman was losing control. She kicked Mr. E’s body. “What the hell is going on, Edgar? You shit.”
Tim wasn’t sure if she was talking about Kissy or Edgar.
She paced between the two unconscious bodies, mumbling to herself.
Tim snaked his way faster now along the grid to one of the wooden support beams. He found footholds down to the ropes holding Avi as the woman stopped pacing and crouched over to the body of Mr. E. She searched around and stood with a gun at her side. “You die first, girl. Then your boyfriends.
Too late. Tim gave up trying to untie Avi and dropped silently to the ground. He took only one step before the woman turned and leveled the gun at his chest.
“The place is filled with reflective surfaces but you and your girlfriend both think you can sneak up on a bitch.”
Tim took a step back and casually leaned against the beam. He calmly met the woman’s black gaze. “This works for you.”
The woman froze.
“You should always be this aggressive,” Tim went on. “It’s hot.
The gun lowered a fraction of an inch.
“Hi. I’m the KC.” He flashed his most charming smile. “You must be Mr. E’s mysterious boss.”
The gun dropped another
notch.
“Vanessa,” she purred.
He repeated, “Vanessa.”
Then she seemed to remember where she was. “We hired you to do a job, Mr. KC.”
“Ha!” Tim interrupted her, “It’s The KC or just KC. I don’t need a title before my initials like your last man, E.”
“Edgar.” Vanessa looked down at her lover.
Tim saw the opportunity to jump her and let it pass. He stayed right where he was. “You’ll be looking for a new partner and I’m looking to branch out.”
Vanessa lowered the gun but stayed on alert as she turned back to him. “You’re dating a cop and suggesting you and I team up?”
“Look,” Tim said, “I like danger. She doesn’t know what I do. Makes it more exciting. And I admit the first I saw of you was two hours ago in a dark club. But I’m a man who knows what he wants. And really,” he strolled over to Avi and pushed to set the man swinging, “I don’t think this goodie two-shoes has ever heard of the kinds of things I’m fantasizing about doing to you.”
Vanessa’s voice dropped an octave. She scoffed, “What about your little ukulele love?”
Tim laughed and ambled closer to Vanessa. “Not my love. Just a girl to get me in the club. And speaking of, she’s my date, Vanessa.” He turned and straddled Kissy’s lap. “I get to kill her.”
He leaned in and kissed his little sister’s best friend.
Seventeen
“So that’s why you came.” Vanessa’s voice had lost the ice Kissy had heard when she was speaking with Mr. E. Now it dripped with desire. “Because she cheated on you. Not to save her boy toy.”
“No.” Tim stood and turned to face Avi. “I came to meet you, Vanessa. And to finish the job.”
Vanessa liked the answer. “Well, where’s the Dog’s body?” she purred.
Tim faltered. He looked at Vanessa and then at Kissy. He stood up straighter definitely not looking at Avi. “You kidnapped this guy to force Kissy just to get me here?”
Tim circled Vanessa as he spoke, turning her to face away from the cop’s hanging body.
“You were supposed to bring proof you’d deep sixed the target,” Vanessa replied, getting suspicious.
Tim clarified, “But you don’t know where the target is.”
“No.” She sounded mad. “You still haven’t killed him, have you?”
Tim stalled, keeping his eyes away from Avi who was demonstrating inhuman abs strength in trying to reach the gun holster wrapped around his ankle. He was bent in half, legs in the air, pants hanging from one ankle.
Tim laughed lightly, trying to throw her attention on Kissy, “Apparently your message got a little garbled in translation.”
“I want his body, KC,” Vanessa spit it out. “But first a show of faith. Kill the cop.”
“Alright,” Tim chuckled. “Give me the gun.”
Vanessa barked out a laugh. At the same moment, Mr. E grunted and grabbed Tim’s legs. Tim fell forward, pushing Vanessa backwards.
“Avi, your way!” He shouted as he fell.
Vanessa fell against Avi’s body and he wrapped his legs tightly around her. Vanessa screamed but regained her balance. She squeezed off a shot and warned him, “I will kill the girl.”
Tim landed and rolled. He came up running straight for Vanessa. He pulled the tiny backup gun from Avi’s ankle holster and held it at Vanessa’s temple.
“How’s your aim?” he whispered in her ear.
It was Mr. E who responded. “At this range I’m not sure how I could miss.”
Tim and Vanessa looked over to see the man, blood drying on his face, holding a knife against Kissy’s neck. Tim’s heart leapt into his throat. It took two breaths for him to find his voice.
“Vanessa is done with you, Edgar. Why would you help her?”
Edgar looked at Tim like he was a moron. “Vanessa would never betray me.”
“She’s betraying you with this guy.” Tim slapped Avi on the back.
“He’s her prisoner.”
“Really?” Tim looked up at the beams and the ropes and compared the size of Avi to the size of Vanessa. “You think she got him strung up here without his help?”
Edgar hesitated.
Tim pushed his luck. “Do you even know who this is?” He pulled the bag off of Avi’s head and laughed out loud when he saw the ball gag.
Edgar gasped so hard it sounded like he was choking. Vanessa turned her head, straining to see what her partner was shocked at. And that’s when Kissy made her move. She whipped her right hand up and sliced at Edgar’s wrist with her knife as she swung her left around, using the now empty end of the handcuff to twist his blade out of his grasp and fling it across the floor.
Another shot rang out and the bullet burned a trench in the cement floor as Avi upended Vanessa in mid-shot. Tim grabbed the gun and dragged Vanessa by one arm. He slipped Avi’s gun back into his ankle holster then dragged the vixen across the floor to where Edgar sat holding his wrist. He let her lean against the door to the performance rave room. He kept Avi’s service revolver trained on them as he collected Edgar’s knife.
Kissy barely noticed that she’d been shot at. She shoved Mr. E out of her way and dragged the chair over to Avi’s side. She climbed up and sawed at the rope fibers with the serrated section of her blade. She tried to pull his arm up to release some of the pressure but she didn’t have the strength to cut and hold him at the same time. So she focused on getting him free.
Tim tucked Edgar’s straight knife into his belt. He looked around for any extra rope and then noticed Kissy’s efforts. He glanced over his shoulder and then pinned his gaze on Vanessa, the more dangerous of the two criminals, while he turned the gun away and shot the locking bar on the ratchet pulley over Avi’s left hand.
The rope slid smoothly through the pulleys and Avi sank to the cold ground.
“You could have killed him!” Kissy protested while jumping off the chair to unbuckle the ball gag harness.
Tim laughed, “Yeah. But he’s a good guy. So I didn’t. Now these two I’ll do for free.”
“No.” Avi choked the word out. He licked his lips, wiggled his jaw, and wiped the drool from his chin. “They’re under arrest.”
“Oh come on, man,” Tim huffed. “They’ll get off on some technicality and be back out here killing kids in a heartbeat. Dead fixes that.”
“I cannot allow you to break the law. I’m sworn to uphold their rights too.”
Tim turned to watch Avi rotate his wrists and massage his cold hands. “They killed your brother. She tied you to the rafters. They hired me to kill you.”
“Yeah, about that. . .” Avi began.
Kissy screamed and dove over him to grab the pistol from his ankle. She brought it up and squeezed the trigger on instinct. Falling back against Avi despite the gentle recoil, she kept her arm up even as Edgar’s throat bloomed red.
Tim turned and stepped out of the way as Mr. E fell dead to the ground. He reached up and pulled on the spike Mr. E had stabbed into his shoulder. It was the metal chopstick that Kissy had stolen from a drag queen to hold her hair back. It took him two tries to get the spike out.
Eighteen
Vanessa looked at them all like a panicked rat. She looked down at Edgar, a sneer crossing her beautiful face. And then she reached up and hit the light switch.
Avi hollered, “No!” He scrambled to his feet, his arms still not quite working.
Tim dashed towards the sound of running heels but missing her, he turned and flipped the lights on again. “Shit.”
Vanessa was nowhere to be seen. Tim started running in the direction the footsteps had been headed but Avi threw an arm in front of him.
“ Forget about her. We need to clear the building.”
“No, I’m getting that bitch.”
“She set a bomb. The light switch activated it. Either we let her go and clear the building or everybody dies.” Avi trapped Tim’s eyes. “Aren’t you known for your conscience?”
“Alright.” He turned to help a stunned Kissy from the floor. “Get up and get out. Run till you reach the metro. I’ll pick you up there.”
At this, Kissy pulled her gaze from Mr. E’s motionless body and seemed to shake herself awake. She shoved the little pistol at Tim. “No. Avi needs help. Take this, I don’t want it.”
She pushed past her childhood friend and opened the door out to the club. She held it for Avi and Tim, allowing the light from the back room to buzz kill the ambiance just outside the door.
“I’ve got a voice people listen to. I’ll herd them out,” Avi said.
“Don’t say bomb. Say it’s a raid,” Tim added. “I’ll find the lights.”
“I’ll go tell the doorman and the bartenders.” Kissy pulled the badge from her garter but Avi waved it away. He still couldn’t use his fingers well enough to grasp it.
Kissy pushed away through the crowd, yelling, “The cops are coming. Find an exit!”
She was worried she couldn’t be heard over the noise of the steel drum band but a few people turned to look at her. They laughed and went back to dancing. She got similar reactions from everyone she managed to reach on her way to the front. No one believed her. When she got to the tattooed Greek, she held the badge in his face and turned on her toughest demeanor.
“We don’t want to arrest anyone except Mr. E and Vanessa. Open the doors and help them all get out and we won’t bother you.”
The Greek not only propped open the doors but also started quietly inviting those nearest to leave. Kissy relaxed a little. She turned and ran as best she could through the crowd to the performance arena where the steel drum band was writhing in their big finale. She found the DJ in a booth against the wall, next to another emergency exit. She propped open the door which set off alarms and as the steel drums flared and finished, the overhead lights came on across the room, blinding everybody. But Kissy had been waiting for it.
Killer on Call 6 Book Bundle (Books 1-6) Page 4
