Bermuda Triangle Blues: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (Scions of Magic Book 4)

by TR Cameron

  His smartwatch vibrated to tell him he had ten minutes to get to the meeting room in the basement. The security in the mansion had been increased dramatically since the girl and her friends had broken in, and he was confident it was again the safest place in the city for serious plotting and planning.

  He strode from his suite and turned to the guards on either side of the door. “She stays in there. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” The duo in their matching black uniforms nodded but did not speak. He dismissed them from his mind as he descended the two flights of stairs to the basement and entered his office, which was guarded by another two of his people.

  Inside, his three lieutenants awaited him. Colin Todd, who clearly fashioned himself after Grisham, rose from his seat on one of the couches at his entrance. The man wore a navy suit with a matching tie over a white shirt, his blond-brown hair perfectly coiffed and his tan shoes gleaming. His face was ordinary enough that he’d blend into a crowd of accountants without issue. He got his words out quicker than the others. “Evening, boss.” It was eleven-thirty on the dot. The gang leader did his best thinking at night. He gave his imitator a nod of acknowledgment.

  The one beside him stood more slowly. Jack Strang was big and muscular and his black pinstripe suit didn’t fit as nicely as Todd’s. His features were a contrast to the other man’s as well—sharp, solid, and instantly noticeable. Strang’s shoes didn’t shine but his shaved head did. His open-collared dress shirt strained against its buttons. He stood respectfully and maintained his silence, and Grisham nodded at him too.

  The third man chose not to rise, which was no shock at all. Messy brown hair, soft features, and business casual khakis and a bright green polo shirt crafted an image of a person who didn’t care about his looks at all. Which is logical, since they almost certainly aren’t his real ones. This was the version of the man he’d initially met, but the mage was inordinately skilled at illusion and changed bodies seemingly on a whim.

  Ozahl was a key part of Grisham’s powerbase but the more he worked with him, the more he wished for an alternate option. Thus far, finding another magical willing to work for a human gang in a battle against their own kind had proven difficult. Still, he wouldn’t stop trying. Grisham believed in backup plans and more backups for those.

  The mage waved a lazy hand. “I’m here as ordered, but I’ll have you know the last-minute call for the meeting screwed up a very promising date.”

  The gang leader never knew whether to believe anything the man said and cared not at all about the personal lives of those in his employ. He ignored the comment.

  “There was no reason to wait once I got the word. A shipment of anti-magic bullets is on its way to Fort Polk. Apparently, the giant octopus attack caused some concern so they put in a request. All our eggs will be in the same basket for a few hours while they organize the ammunition for distribution.”

  The survivors of the group that had attacked his people were reportedly still at the base, either in cells or in the secure infirmary, and he wanted them as much or more than he desired the bullets.

  Smiles appeared on his human lieutenants’ faces. The mage seemed less impressed and merely offered a nondescript shrug and remained silent.

  Strang asked, “So, how will we do it? Did we get someone on the inside?”

  Grisham shook his head. “No one willing to act. The intelligence came from surveillance on a person of interest further up the chain.” The Zatora family paid handsomely for any and all information concerning military or police activities within a few hundred miles of New Orleans. They had people on the payroll tasked with being go-betweens and connection-makers. Not much happened in the town that he didn’t have at least some hint of.

  Except for magical monsters appearing from nowhere. I’m not sure how I can put together an early warning system for that.

  He pushed that thought aside and continued. “But we have satellite images and we have people to spare. A contingent from New York will be here by tomorrow afternoon.”

  Ozahl slapped his hands on his thighs. “So be it, then.” The other lieutenants swiveled their heads toward him. “I’ll lead it. Strang can come along. Todd stays close as liaison but doesn’t join the attack.” He frowned and looked thoughtful for several seconds. “We’ll need to go in hard—automatic rifles, make considerable noise, and detonate numerous explosions. While that happens, a smaller group infiltrates to retrieve the ammo and the people. I’m sure we’ll find a vehicle to borrow, but there should definitely be more nearby so we can divide the take and scatter. That way, if they pursue, they won’t get everyone.”

  The other two humans in the room looked at Grisham and he nodded. “It’s a fair plan. Let’s spend an hour or so to flesh it out fully. Gear is no problem. We’ve stockpiled for this kind of eventuality.” He shook his head. “But we’ll need to give them someone to blame for it.”

  The mage grinned. “I couldn’t agree more. I have my own collection of various items from the Atlanteans we’ve killed. It shouldn’t be too hard to throw suspicion in their direction.”

  Finally, Grisham smiled. “That’s the perfect touch. Let’s get to it.”

  Usha emerged unsteadily from the portal onto the thick carpet that covered the floor of her office in the Shark. The Empress had demanded her presence in person far more often of late, and the energy required to transfer to New Atlantis and back was draining. She imagined it had something to do with the water between but had no actual evidence of that.

  Or maybe I’m merely lousy at portals. Some people go from planet to planet without seeming to make any real effort at all. But that’s not me.

  She changed from the ornate dress she’d worn for her audience into a more casual jeans and sweater combo, the latter a luxurious cashmere that caressed her skin and made her feel instantly more relaxed. A gentle knock on the door revealed that her arrival had not gone unnoticed.

  Nor should it have. When magic happens in my club, someone had better take note, even if it is ridiculously late at night. A look at her watch required her to correct herself. Ridiculously early in the morning.

  The gang leader pressed the button on her desk to release the lock and it swung open. Danna Cudon, clad as always in a gorgeously tailored business suit, swept in. Her long black hair was pulled back from her face, and her light makeup accentuated the sharp lines of her cheekbones. With a couple more inches of height, the woman might have been a model with a completely different life.

  Usha smiled, truly happy to see her subordinate. “Danna, how are you?”

  The other woman grinned in return. “Very well, thank you. Yourself?”

  She shrugged. “A little tired. The Empress is demanding.”

  “As always, right?”

  “Indeed.” She gestured toward the couches arranged at a right angle from one another and moved to sit across from her second in command. “So, bring me up to speed.”

  Her subordinate straightened with a nod. “The Zarcanum is still in demand among the magicals of the city. We’ve expanded distribution to those not quite as high up the social ladder. I don’t oversee those personally but am told it’s going well. The people I do meet with are universally pleased with our service.”

  “And we are universally pleased to accept their money,” Usha replied. “How about the one for the humans?”

  “Demand exceeds supply. We can’t make the Shine fast enough to satisfy those who want it. And that’s only focusing mainly on those we’ve identified as supporters or customers of the Zatoras. Our hopes of spreading to the rest of the market are on hold until we can increase our production.”

  The Atlantean leader frowned. “And how do you plan to do that while maintaining the secrecy we require?”

  Danna looked uncomfortable. “I hate to say it, but I haven’t found a good solution. We’ve run out of trustworthy people here. I fear you will need to ask the Empress to supply them.”

  Usha sighed. Making a request of the Empress at the mo
ment was problematic at best, especially in light of the new orders she’d given. “Okay. We’ll have to leave that on hold. Do you have anything else to share?”

  “Only that the assault attempted against the Zatora organization by the Malniet family seems to have accomplished nothing more than the Kraken attack did. Aside from making their presence known, neither was a clear success. Rumor has it that Grisham is actively seeking members of the family to ‘interview,’ but if there are any present in the city, they’re keeping a low profile.”

  “There are almost certainly some here. They would want eyes on the ground. Hell, they’ve probably been here for months, if not longer.” Danna nodded agreement. “We have to assume they’ll turn those eyes toward us before long.” Again, her subordinate signaled consensus. “Start looking for them. Follow the Zatora searchers too. Maybe they’ll get a break before we do.”

  The woman’s lips twitched into a scowl. “And, of course, there’s the matter of Caliste Leblanc. Her ongoing success in the battles is not unexpected but is downright annoying.”

  Usha laughed. “Well, if that bothers you, what I have to share will make you absolutely furious.” Her second leaned forward and her body betrayed her concern. “The Empress has taken a personal interest in young Cali. We are to continue the ritual because to do otherwise would betray her interest and there are always people watching those of us who support our ruler.” The likelihood of someone within their own gang being paid to provide information to the nine was high, which was one of the reasons the two leaders were so careful with the secrecy surrounding their street products. “But the goal has changed. If she survives, the Empress wants her turned to our cause.”

  Her subordinate’s head tilted to the side as if what she’d said didn’t make sense. “Did she explain how we might accomplish that?”

  “Not in so many words. But we have concrete steps to take in that direction. Unfortunately, success will require hard work, luck, and sacrifice in equal measures.”

  Danna nodded. “Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

  She shook her head. “In due time. The first moves are mine. But also, in addition to the things we’ve discussed, I’ll need you to start working on weakening the girl’s support structure.”

  A true smile swept across her second’s visage and the enthusiasm in her voice matched it. “Now that sounds like fun.”

  “I am positive you’ll enjoy it.” She pointed to the bar cart that stood against one wall. “Get us a couple of drinks because this is a moment of both change and celebration.” The woman complied and Usha took an appreciative sip of the dark rum. “Okay, here’s what we need to do….”

  Chapter Ten

  After staying up into the early morning hours the night before awaiting Usha’s return, Danna had decided to make it a light day. She had emerged from her apartment by midafternoon, properly attired and made up, and attended to the few high-level customers on the schedule. Between meetings, she’d reviewed the production process for the human drugs and searched for a way to speed it up without adding people. Unfortunately, they’d already taken advantage of all those possibilities.

  When eight o’clock finally arrived, she stepped out of the car and dismissed her driver for the evening. Before her was the restaurant called August, one of her favorites in the Quarter. The maitre d' escorted her to the table she preferred, which a gang member had reserved for her earlier in the day. It was set for two but the other party had yet to arrive.

  She selected the Degustation menu, a chef-curated sampling of the restaurant’s best dishes paired with appropriate wines. The Royal Red Shrimp salad arrived first, accompanied by a light red wine as both she and her partner disliked white varieties. She had just taken her initial mouthful when the chair across from her slid out and a woman sat in it.

  The new arrival was clad in a tight crimson dress that plunged low and ended at mid-thigh. She was curvy and gorgeous, with a strong face and long blonde hair that fell in gentle waves over her shoulders. Earrings and a necklace of gold and diamonds finished the look. She raised an amused eyebrow at the waiter’s failure to avoid giving her obvious scrutiny as he deposited her plate in front of her, then vanished.

  Danna laughed softly. “I guess we’ll have a female server in no time. What’s your name today?”

  The other woman grinned. “What do you want it to be?”

  “You look like a Holli. Let’s go with that.”

  “Holli it is.” Her guest took a careful mouthful of her salad and sipped at her wine. As always, Danna was impressed at how completely the mage adopted his disguises. To those on the outside, she seemed to have a number of different partners, which ensured that no one questioned whether she might have someone special to assert a claim on her loyalties. For the two of them, it meant they could be together as often as they wanted without anyone knowing they were a couple. It was, in short, a perfect solution to their need for secrecy.

  Danna nibbled a little more before she pushed her plate away. The appetizers were good but she wanted to save her appetite to sample the main courses. Her dining partner had no such concerns. He had explained that his body burned more calories when he used magic so he needed to eat well when in disguise. She took his comment on faith.

  There was no way to know if she’d seen his true form, even though he’d promised her she had. In the end, it didn’t matter. It was him who drew her, not whatever shell he happened to be in at the time. “So, plans for later?” It was her standard line to discover whether she’d sleep alone at her apartment or if she’d have to find a place to portal to their shared hideaway. She had collected several options and tried to use them randomly, again to preserve the illusion that she was with various people when she wasn’t at home.

  “Sadly, yes.” The voice that emerged from his current body held his humorous overtones, but the woman’s voice was higher and sultrier than his own. He might have overdone it there a little unless the goal was to draw everyone’s attention. Of course, that could easily have been his objective. His mind was devious in an assortment of interesting ways, complementing rather than duplicating her own. “My boss has me working late.”

  Anyone listening would doubtless reach the wrong conclusions. The mage waved his hand as if to emphasize the point, and the surrounding sounds grew more subdued. His ability to subtly shield their conversations was more refined than any other she’d ever experienced.

  “Doing something interesting?” she asked

  He nodded, and his long blonde hair fell into his face. With a sigh, he pushed it away. His reply was interrupted by the arrival of a female server with new glasses of wine and an impressive-looking soup with caviar in it. The scent of fresh cucumber wafted from the bowl, and they both tasted it.

  “Damn, that’s good, he said. “Great choice.”

  Danna nodded. “You were saying?”

  Her companion gave her a smile that revealed he’d acted distracted simply to tease her. “We’re moving on the place tonight. The big one.” Her eyes widened as he used the euphemism for Fort Polk.

  “After the people?”

  “And the toys.” He’d explained the plan to her in detail when it had first been suggested to Grisham so she could provide a perspective on how it might impact the Atlantean gang. To be sure, the humans with anti-magic bullets would be a problem for them. But he had assured her that any big operations would be communicated well in advance so she could move the important people out of the line of fire. It suited their purpose to keep the gangs at odds with each other for as long as possible because the chaos and uncertainty provided more opportunity for them to improve their own situations.

  “Dang. Two-for-one. How’d that come about?”

  He shrugged his shapely shoulders. “Pure luck, apparently. Sometimes, the universe is kind. Or, for the people on the other end of the equation, decidedly less than kind.”

  “He’ll call upon you for the conversation?” She used another euphemism, this time for a
n interrogation.

  “Almost certainly. He trusts me and I’m good at it.”

  “You’ll have to take care not to reveal your true nature.” He smiled and gestured at the body he wore like a costume. She shook her head. “They’ll have magic too. It might be harder to hide from.”

  “I’ll be careful. I can also make up a reason to be alone during the session so if they do discover something they shouldn’t, I’ll be the only one who knows.”

  Danna nodded. “Okay, that’s a good plan. Will the first part be dangerous?” She tried not to fear for him but with the events ahead, it was impossible not to. Random chance combined with enemy action had killed people of power on any number of occasions.

  “Somewhat. Baldie will provide a diversion while I lead a smaller team in for our true objective. The goal is to keep us hidden and if he’s loud enough, it might work. If not…well, failure won’t be the death of me, although it could accelerate our timetable a little.”

  She sighed as the plates before them were exchanged for a dish with some kind of octopus on it. A taste revealed that it was perfectly seasoned and cooked, and she devoured it before she replied. “That wouldn’t necessarily be the worst thing.”

  He laughed softly. “Are you tiring of the game, love?”

  The woman shook her head. “No, never. I merely wonder if we’re reaching the point where the returns are so small that we should move on to a different strategy or a different place.”

  “This is the only place to be right now. Once we’ve done our part with the humans and your friends, we can start to pick away at the Malniets. Everything we accomplish here will only make things better when we get back home.”

  She smiled. “You’re never satisfied.”