Return of the High Fae

by Tom Keller

  Chapter 14

  The next morning, Jay came into the kitchen just as I was pouring a cup of coffee.

  "I'm gonna head over to where our latest victim was last known to be staying at here in town and drop a subpoena, then I'm heading back to L.A. I'll try to come up next month unless business brings me here sooner." He paused as I handed him a cup, raising an eyebrow. The mug featured Fox Mulder from the X-Files. "Are you trying to tell me something?" he asked with an inquisitive look.

  "No," I said, chuckling, "just thought you'd get a kick out of it."

  We sat down at the kitchen table.

  "So, where was he staying?"

  "Comped suite at the Neptune's Landing. Apparently he was a whale from Japan. You know much about the place?" A whale was a heavy gambler. It was a term known to every casino employee, as well as most Vegas folks.

  I almost spilled my coffee; it would have to be the Neptune. "As a matter of fact, the head of the place is a client of mine and his corporate security guy is an acquaintance. I can introduce you. It might make things work smoother."

  "That'd be great, Dad. Can you arrange it? It'll take me an hour or so to get the paperwork from the U.S. Attorney. How do you want to play it?" he asked with a smile on his face.

  I knew it would give him the opportunity to make a new connection in town as well as make things move faster.

  "Do you trust them?"

  "I have no reason not to at the moment, but it's your case. I can call him now and set something up, or if you'd prefer, we can drop in on them cold." I left that decision to him. I didn't want him to think I was stepping on his investigation.

  "Yeah, go ahead and call, I don't want to be too difficult. See if we can meet him around 9:30, if that's ok," he replied.

  "Let's find out." I picked up my cell phone and dialed Siegfried's number.

  "Do you want me to tell him anything?"

  "I'd rather wait," he said, shaking his head.

  Having been in his shoes and knowing that I couldn't tell him anything different, I nodded. Siegfried answered almost immediately. I put the call on the speaker. "Robert, you're up early, what can I do for you?"

  "Hey, Siegfried, I was wondering if you time to meet up this morning, say around 9:30 or so? My son is in town and had a few questions about something he is working on."

  "Ah, yes, the agent," he said. "Can you tell me what this is about?"

  "Well, I'm really not in a position to comment. It's his case so I'd rather have him discuss it with you, if you don't mind."

  Siegfried didn't hesitate before answering. "Of course, I understand your position. Do you want to meet here?"

  I looked over at Jay and he nodded his head. "That would be best. Where do you want us to meet you? We'll be traveling in two cars."

  There was a short pause. "Why don't you ask for me at the security podium by the cage? I'll come down when the first one of you arrives."

  "That'll work," I answered. "See you then."

  "Thanks, Dad," he said as he got up from the table. He drained his cup and placed it in the sink. "Well, I'm gonna head to the Vegas office then. So I'll see you there at 9:30?"

  "I'll be there," I said as I followed him to the front door.

  ****

  I arrived at the Neptune's Landing around 9:15, parked in the main lot and went inside. I headed to the cage area where the security podium was located and gave the guard my name and waited. Moments later, Siegfried came out of a side door.

  "Robert, how are you?" he asked, shaking my hand.

  "Good, Siegfried, Jay should be here any minute."

  We made small talk until Jay showed up. After introductions, we went into the back toward Siegfried's office. His office was large and well-furnished, indicating his position in the hierarchy of the business. There were some interesting artifacts as well, all relating to his Viking ancestry, Viking art on the walls and examples of weaponry behind glass cases.

  He sat down behind his desk as we sat in the plush chairs in front.

  "Well then, Agent Hoskins, how can we assist you?" Siegfried asked, clasping his hands.

  "I have a subpoena for some records for you. Your company is not the subject of my investigation. Rather, it's for records about an individual by the name of Chitose Shoda. He was known to have stayed here recently." He handed the subpoena to Siegfried.

  Siegfried looked over the paperwork, appearing stunned for a moment, then recovered quickly. "Mr. Shoda is well known to us. As you have a subpoena, we will, of course, provide you with whatever you need. But, please, can you tell me what this about?"

  Jay looked over at me before answering. "Mr. Shoda's body was found a week or so ago, we believe he was murdered."

  Siegfried picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Please tell Mr. Milagre that I have Mr. Hoskins and his son, Agent Hoskins with Homeland Security here in my office. We need to speak with him immediately." There was a short pause. "Thank you, we'll be there in a moment." He looked back over at us. "This is very disturbing news. Chi was a good client, as well as a regular guest. He and Mr. Milagre have been acquaintances for years. I think he will be better able to answer any questions you may have."

  Siegfried stood up and we followed him out the doorway. He stopped at his secretary's desk and handed her the subpoena. He gave her some instructions and then asked us to follow him to Milagre's office which was around the corner from his. Once there, he asked us to give him a moment and we waited in the outer office as he went in to see Milagre.

  "So what do you think, Dad?" Jay asked as Siegfried closed the door behind him.

  "I think you caught him off guard. He looked quite concerned."

  Jay started to say something but Siegfried came back out and waved for us to go in.

  "Tell you what," I said as I turned to Jay. "This is your gig, son. I'm gonna wait out here while you do your thing."

  "Ok, thanks Dad," Jay answered, smiling.

  I could tell he knew I was recognizing that this was his case and I'd done my bit with the introductions. Hey, you gotta let them grow up sometime. I sat down in one of the plush chairs and watched him walk into Milagre's office. I grabbed a magazine and sat back to wait.

  Siegfried came out a few minutes later. "They will be a while. Would you care to wait in my office?"

  "Sure," I said as I stood up.

  When we got to his office he went straight to his secretary's desk. "How soon will those records be ready?" he asked her.

  "Michael is handling it," she replied. "Everything the subpoena requires is computerized. I told him to rush it. We should have the file in the next 15 to twenty minutes or so."

  "Very good, send him in when he arrives."

  I followed him into his office and he closed the door behind me. I took a chair as he sat down at his desk. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you more before we got here," I said.

  Siegfried leaned back and ran his fingers through his thick, blonde hair. "I understand. It's just a shock. Shoda was well respected and he was a powerful Fae. That would have been Mr. Milagre's fate had you not intervened."

  "I figured he was one of us. What was he?"

  "The Japanese are very different from us, Robert. Here, although well hidden, the Fae have integrated into modern society. But there the worlds remain apart." Siegfried said, rubbing his temples. "Shoda was an exception, he was a go between. He moved freely between both worlds. I understand his services were much sought after. His passing will leave a considerable void. It concerns me a great deal."

  "His death?" I asked.

  "More so the reasons behind it. Unfortunately, I do not know a great deal about his activities. What I do know is that Shoda was our only contact with the Eastern world. His passing closes many doors. I do not know when they will be open to us again."

  "Well, it gets worse," I said. "There are at least 4 others that I know of. I am guessing they're Fae as well. From what little I've learned each was wealthy, so probably powerful as well. I don't have t
heir names. But the question is, who's taking out the Fae, and why?"

  "If we assume Mr. Milagre's was the last, then your dispatching of the attackers seems to have curtailed their activities, at least for now," he replied.

  "So it seems, but for how long?"

  I could see that Siegfried was thinking about that as well. He started to say something but was interrupted by the phone. Picking it up, I heard him tell them to send him in.

  "Here are the reports you requested," said a young man in an Armani suit as he walked into the room. He handed a folder to Siegfried.

  "Michael, this is Robert Hoskins," Siegfried said, introducing me. "Michael is my assistant chief."

  "A pleasure to meet you, sir," he answered.

  "You as well," I replied.

  "Michael, anything out of the ordinary on this trip?" Siegfried asked as he shuffled through the papers he had been given.

  "No, sir, as usual, he didn't book in advance and we did not receive an itinerary. He dined on property and we have no record of any visitors or out of the ordinary activity."

  "Thank you," Siegfried said. "Check with other staff. If any other information becomes available, notify me immediately."

  "Yes, sir," he replied and then turned and walked out of the office.

  Siegfried picked up the phone. "I have those records, sir," he said. "Unfortunately, there is very little here. Yes, sir, I'll take care of it."

  As he hung up the phone he turned towards me. "Your son will be on his way back here in a minute. Hopefully, Mr. Milagre was able to provide some useful information."

  "Well, I am sure he'll appreciate anything you can do for him."

  "Have you told him about the incident with Mr. Milagre?" Siegfried asked shrewdly.

  It was my turn to run my hands down the back of my head and neck. "Hell, Siegfried, I don't know if I should tell him anything, but he's my kid, you know. He's also running this investigation. He has no idea that I took out two of his suspects and I don't know how to tell him without revealing the rest. I gotta be honest here, Siegfried, I don't like lying to my kids, but what can I do? I'm certainly not prepared to tell either of them the truth about all this just yet. Hell, I doubt they'd even believe me."

  "A difficult position to be in," Siegfried agreed.

  "He's got enough on his plate as it is and I'm knee deep in this mess and it's getting complicated." I stood up. "I'll have to play it by ear. If these killings place him or my daughter in any more danger than they are already in I'll have to try and find a way to tell them. But for now, I'm hoping we've slowed them down a bit."

  "One thing at a time then. I hope you know that I will help you in any way I can." The phone rang and he answered it. "Very good, send him in."

  After Jay came in, Siegfried gave him the information he had requested. We chatted for a while and then the three of us left the office and walked back to the casino to head our separate ways.

  "OK then, Dad, I'll call you soon," Jay said as he prepared to leave.

  "Alright, let me know what you can and I'll follow up on what we discussed," I replied as I hugged him. As he walked away I turned to Siegfried. "Have you got a few minutes?"

  "Of course, would you like some coffee? We have an excellent coffee house on property."

  "Lead the way," I answered.

  The Neptune had several European style coffee stands throughout the property. Each one was themed after a different region. We walked through the casino and wound up at a little shop with a Mediterranean theme.

  "How are you coming along with Williams' case? Any luck on locating the woman yet?" Siegfried asked after we'd ordered and taken a seat at a table in the back.

  "Slow going right now," I confessed as I sipped my Latte. "I've got searches running and some other inquiries out. If they don't pan out I'll start hitting the streets."

  I looked over at him and made a decision. Siegfried had been straight with me so far, and to be honest, I was gonna need a friend like him.

  "My sources say that the jewel is a dragon's eye and that it was indeed gifted to an oracle from ancient Greece."

  That got his attention.

  "A dragon's eye, then she is indeed from Delphi. Hah! Who would have thought she was the one true Pythia." He took a deep drink. "She would be a valuable ally indeed. I hope you can locate her."

  "I'll find her. Whether or not she'll cooperate, we'll just have to wait and see."

  "I did not know that you had other Fae sources," he said, looking at me intently.

  "Yeah, well, things have moved kind of fast lately. But first, there's more going on here than we know about, Siegfried, and that bothers me. We need to find out why these Mages are going after Fae? I know I took out two of them but I have to believe they'll try again."

  "I agree," he nodded. "As you know, I have increased security at the property as well as on Mr. Milagre. But without further information about our adversaries there is only so much I can do. I have inquiries out to all my sources. Do you have any thoughts?"

  "No, I wish I did, for now that's all I think you can do. I'm going to be doing some more digging as well." I sat back and took another drink and then turned back to Siegfried. "I'd like to discuss a few other matters as well. Jay mentioned something that I want to learn more about. Have you ever heard of any government agency that investigates nonhuman activity?"

  Siegfried gave me one of those raised eyebrow looks as sipped from his cup. "Yes, I know of them. They have contacted Mr. Milagre on several occasions. It is said that many governments employ such agents to protect themselves. Why, has your son been approached by them?" He put down his cup.

  "They were at Shoda's autopsy and Jay was wondering about them. My daughter met them as well. She described them as spooks, as in evil spirits, not agents."

  "There are those in the government that know the Fae exist. These beings monitor magic for them, or at least magic that would threaten the government. It is rumored that many are half-breeds, humans, but with Demon blood. Historically, they were persecuted by the mortals of Earth in the old times, who thought them evil and unclean.

  "Legend has it that some made pacts with the sovereigns of the realms they resided in, protection of the king's title and lands against attacks by magic in exchange for a safe haven. They seek out those who would harm their masters and report their findings. Governments today are no different than they were then. Does it not make sense that they would employ them to protect their interests from others?"

  "I thought all Demons were evil, and when you say half breeds, do you mean a physical half breed, such as with a Demon and other as a parent?" I hadn't considered such beings would exist or that the government knew about the Fae but it did make sense.

  "Exactly, a union between a Demon and a mortal would produce such a being. The universe is supposed to be in balance, if the Fae can visit and live here then it makes sense that Demons can as well. But they come from the Underworld. A very different place than the world we know. But in many ways they are similar to the Fae, so it does not seem unusual that they would breed with mortals just as the Fae have. But as to them being evil, I am not sure that is the right word," Siegfried answered.

  "I'm not sure I understand. If not evil, then what are they...and similar to the Fae?"

  "If the Fae could war against each other over petty trifles then how can all Fae be good?" Siegfried pointed out, leaning over towards me. "Demons are said to be no different. There are many types of Demons and some are indeed evil, but I am certain that there are Demons who want only to be left alone and live in peace. I do not know all their history but it is said that when the Gods first took up arms to battle one another they discovered the secret to summoning the higher Demons as warriors, opening a long-closed portal to their lands. While many came because they were bound and returned to their homes when the spell binding them was broken, others came willingly, seeking new lands to conquer."

  Siegfried paused a moment, then sat back in his chair, look
ing at me intently. "As for them being like the Fae, they are creatures of magic with similar lines and powers. I have been told that the higher Demons are great warriors and are considered formidable opponents."

  "Great, this just gets better all the time," I said, leaning back. I placed my cup down and leaned towards him. "Now, I have another problem I need to discuss with you."

  "Another problem? You have had a busy week."

  He had no idea.

  "What can you tell me about Werewolves?"

  "Werewolves?"

  He started to say something about shape shifters but I interrupted him.

  "Sorry, I don't mean Werewolves in general. I meant the ones that are local. Are there many and what are they like?

  "I know a few," he answered with a look of concern. "Can you tell me what this is about?"

  I told him about the incidents with Delia, both in the street and at Danu's. I didn't get too specific about my power or lack of control of it but I could tell he got the general idea. When I told him about beating the Werewolves and taking the scepter his eyes widened.

  "You took that from one of the boys? But how..." he asked, shaking his head. "Wait; first tell me, what did the older man look like? Are you sure he was his father?"

  "Light skinned, about 6', 2" and well-built but with dark hair and a beard...and the kid called him Dad," I answered.

  "...and the Corvette was red. It must have been Ben Turner. He's been a thorn in the side of Martin for years. He has a boy about the right age as well, also named Benjamin. But stealing the scepter? That is a bold move."

  "Ok, who are they?"

  "Sorry, Robert, Martin Chibeaux is the pack leader of the local Weres. Ben Turner is also a member of the pack. Their families have been at odds for generations. He's been testing Martin for years now. He wants control but doesn't have the strength, or the following, to challenge Martin. But to steal the scepter, that is bold...and foolish as well." He shook his head. "Turner's line is old, but not as old as Martin's. Nor is he strong enough to lead. He is a fool." Siegfried slapped his hand on the table. "What do you plan on doing with the scepter?"