The Veil: Corruption (HASEA CHRONICLES BOOK 2)

by Stuart Meczes

  What is going on, Alex? Why are you five thousand miles away? I shook my head. This is no time to get emotional. Pull yourself together. “Right, everyone, it’s just us tonight, and this looks to be a difficult mission, so don’t let your attention drop for a second. We need to make sure those SOS bastardi don’t get their hands on a single human.”

  The team made enthusiastic sounds of agreement. Aran simply nodded her head. Then her body absorbed the colours of the surroundings, and she disappeared completely. The rest of us activated our Kapre belts, and together we all marched out of the park towards Indigo.

  Getting inside wasn’t an issue. We simply hopped over the rope, waited for a gap in the advancing line and slipped past the bouncers. They never even looked in our direction, not that they would’ve seen anything if they had anyway.

  We passed through a welcoming room, where beaming staff in immaculate uniforms gathered coats and offered complimentary champagne. A set of purple glass doors led to the main area. The interior was a rich mix of purple, gold, and dark wood. The building had been converted from an old theatre, and the main features had been adopted into the style of the new establishment. The high domed ceiling had been kept, but instead of housing a traditional chandelier, it now held a modern one that splayed out like flower petals, each section providing a slightly different shade of purple.

  Decorative arches on each wall had been put to use, with large panes of glass set inside each one. Elegant twin staircases stood either side of the room and led up to what would have originally been the circle seating area, but was now a busy bar section. The restaurant area was below. Several people were already seated at their tables, chatting whilst working their way through a selection of hors d’ourves. At the far end, an old stage had been resurfaced and had a grand piano on it; an overweight pianist was confidently playing a classical piece. Alex would like it here; we should go when he gets better—

  Focus, dammit!

  I scanned with the Biomote, but the place was too new to get a proper reading. So instead, I clicked the bracelet twice, which connected me with Crow’s Nest. “Atlas, can you hear me?”

  A female voice came through. “This is Atlas, we hear you.”

  “I need an access point count.”

  “Acknowledged. One moment, we’re still hacking into their security feed.” There was silence for a few moments. “Okay, aside from the main entrance, there are emergency exits on either side of the restaurant and one upstairs leading to a fire escape. In addition there are two air vents leading outside. According to the downloaded schematics, those are inside the bathrooms. There is also a delivery bay behind the kitchens. So in total, depending on how creative they want to get, you’ve got seven potential access points.”

  “Merda,” I muttered under my breath. “Okay, got it.” I clicked off and spoke to the rest of the team.

  “Barton, Aran, you cover the downstairs emergency escapes and kitchen. Grey, I want you to watch the upstairs bar, keeping an eye on that fire escape. Del, you join him, but cover the bathrooms. Chances are they’ll try and send a few in slyly, so that’s a strong possibility. I’ll cover the main entrance and the windows down here. Listen, we just don’t have the time or resources to bring many more Rogues in. Not to mention I’m sick of giving these arseholes a break. So just a few for questioning and then you do what you need to. Let’s send the SOS a message back. Are we clear?”

  The replies were enthusiastic to say the least.

  “Good. Everyone, get to your positions.” We all peeled away from one another. I took up position along one of the sides, next to a small cocktail bar, where an effeminate barman was struggling to remove a stubborn wine cork. I used the Biomote to do a warm body scan.

  Eighty-four souls.

  I figured about a fifth of that number would be staff. As we’d entered I’d counted fifty customers still in the queue, and more would soon be on their way. It looked like the place would comfortably hold three hundred people. That was a hell of a lot of people for five Guardians to protect. I needed to get them all out – fast.

  I lifted the coms bracelet to my wrist. “Can anyone see an emergency fire alarm?”

  There was silence for a few moments and then Grey answered. “There’s one here by the bar.”

  “Pull it.”

  The loud piercing screech of a fire alarm filled the restaurant. The pianist stopped playing and all that could be heard amongst the wailing were the confused sounds of the patrons. Soon afterwards, a man in a suit emerged through a door marked ‘private’. He cleared his throat and shouted as loudly as he could over the noise. “Nothing to worry about, folks, but if you could just calmly make your way outside, we’ll have this sorted in just a moment.” He emphasised the word ‘calmly,’ and I had to agree with his foresight. Panicking humans were like stampeding cattle – impossible to control and dangerous, both to themselves and others.

  There was a clatter of knives and forks and the scraping of chairs as disgruntled customers stood up. The manager spoke into his earpiece. Two of the bouncers came inside and pushed open the emergency exits. The manager ran up the stairs and opened the exit leading to the fire escape. They all began to usher people out of Indigo.

  My team stood silently in their positions; their belts allowed them to dissolve into the shadows. The various crowds muttered their disapproval as they filtered through the exits. Soon there were less than a dozen customers remaining downstairs, and the bouncers were shouting to hurry them up. I breathed a sigh of relief.

  There was a buzz in my ear. Del’s voice filled my head. “Err...boss, you need to get up here, now.” Without answering, I marched up the stairs and into the bar section. There I was met with a sight that stopped me in my tracks.

  A redheaded vampire and my boyfriend’s brother.

  They were getting up from a booth in one of the balcony corners. Mikey looked more despondent than irritated. Scarlett drained the remnants of a double whisky and set it down on the glass table. Delagio joined me and we slipped past the stragglers to where they were standing. Mikey was moaning that it was ‘typical’ as he grabbed his phone and wallet from the table. Scarlett tried to placate him with a comforting hand on his arm but he shrugged it off.

  “What are you doing here?” I demanded.

  Scarlett swirled around to face me. Mikey frowned and squinted his eyes as if trying to peer through a frosted window. Then his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

  “Ella, Del, what’s going on?” asked Scarlett with a concerned expression.

  “I’ve been trying to get hold of you all evening,” I said flatly.

  Scarlett looked guilty. “I’m sorry, I turned off my phone and unlinked my Biomote. I know I shouldn’t have. Mikey and I, we just needed a night alone together...you know to chat and stuff.”

  I glared at my Vampire friend. “I asked you to keep an eye on Alex for me. Do you not think that might have warranted skipping a night out in favour of staying home, where – he – is?”

  Scarlett’s jaw tightened. “Listen Ella, I’m sorry I went off grid – that was wrong of me – but I’m a Guardian, not a bloody babysitter. Unless there’s something going on that I should know-”

  “Hold on,” Mikey interrupted, “what’s wrong with Alex?”

  “Nothing,” I lied. “Anyway this doesn’t matter right now. Listen, there’s going to be an SOS attack here any second.”

  Mikey’s face drained of colour. “What?”

  I turned to Scarlett. “Are you armed?”

  “Just my Biomote blades.”

  “Right, you need to get Mikey out of here now,” I ordered, pointing at the emergency exit. All surprise gone, Scarlett was in Guardian mode.

  “Got it.”

  She half lifted Mikey to his feet and started to manoeuvre him towards the exit. Then she stopped suddenly and yanked him into the shadows.

  The manager staggered away from the door and collapsed to the ground. The handle of a dagger was protruding from h
is sternum. Half a dozen Rogues poured around his body in a swirl of red cloaks. I glanced over the balcony at the other exits in time to see one bouncer get his throat crushed by a female Bloodseeker, and the other got a knife to the heart courtesy of an Imp. More Rogues slipped through the doorway. I turned to see one locking the front door. Slumped against the wall nearby was the check-in girl. She had a red line running across her throat. I stifled a gasp.

  Oh god, no!

  I’d let myself get distracted and I paid the price with four dead humans. Trying to get a handle on the situation, I quickly darted my eyes around the restaurant. Sixteen Rogues, twenty-one humans, six Guardians, and one Mikey.

  Shit.

  I took a deep breath and refused to let panic take hold. They hadn’t noticed us yet – we had the dark corner and Kapre belts to thank for that. As long as they didn’t pay us too much attention – and we kept our Guardian gear out of sight – we’d appear like any other unarmed human. We still have the upper hand. We can save the rest.

  “Scarlett, get back,” I hissed above the alarm. Slowly they both retreated towards me. I passed her one of my Blood Brothers and she slipped it inside her dress, hooking it onto her tights. I pressed a multi-round gun into his hand and whispered loud enough for him to hear. “As quietly and quickly as you can, go into that bathroom. Something comes at you, use the gun.” His muscles tensed as I spoke. He gave a slow nod and edged away from us, disappearing through the swinging door.

  I lifted up my bracelet. “Del, go in there with him. Get him out through the vents if you can.”

  “On it.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the Kinesist deftly slip into the bathroom unnoticed. “Aran, get up here as fast as you can and give Scarlett your belt,” I whispered to my wrist. There was no answer, but soon afterwards I saw a shimmering blur near me and heard a click. Scarlett hastily activated the belt.

  “Okay,” I said low into the bracelet but loud enough for Scarlett to hear. “Let this play out for a bit. I want to see what they’re up to. But if it looks like they are going to hurt another human, we attack.”

  Six Guardians gave quiet acknowledgements.

  It didn’t take long before the remaining staff noticed both the dead bodies and new arrivals. They descended into hysteria and stampeded towards the various exits. One of the Rogues near the top fire escape exit stepped forward – clearly the commander – and raised a pistol into the air. As his robe slipped away, I saw all manner of weapons attached to his wide waist. The gun exploded with a loud crack and a shower of plaster landed at his feet. People screamed and shrank into trembling balls of fear.

  “Silence!” he shouted.

  No one uttered a word.

  “Will someone stop that god damn racket!” he yelled, gesturing the pistol towards the warbling fire alarm. One of the Rogues disappeared into the back room, and after a few seconds everything fell silent.

  The commander released a long sigh, smoothing a strand of his sandy hair over his head. “Ah, that’s better. You have no idea how loud that is for me.” He leaned over the balcony, resting his arms on it in a gesture of nonchalant arrogance. “Right then, listen up everyone. My friends and I are here to find a certain person. If we do, then we will leave without any more casualties.” He gave a menacing grin. “That is, as long as no one pisses us off.”

  His threat was met with fresh whimpers from the remaining humans.

  The commander was a Bloodling. Very powerful looking – I figured at least half a millennia old. He cast an expectant eye down towards one of the female Rogues below.

  “Amelie? If you would.”

  “Everybody face down on the floor, now!” yelled the blonde-haired Pixie on cue.

  The commander turned around, towards my Guardians by the bar. He raised a hand to the side of his face and whispered as though sharing a secret. “That means you too.”

  Everyone slipped down onto their fronts, including us. I kept one hand on the Blood Brother and one eye on the bathroom door. I had a sickening feeling that I knew exactly who they were looking for. This is all too much of a coincidence.

  On the commander’s order, the SOS Rogues filtered through the restaurant, leaning down to check out those on the ground, jerking up chins and rolling people over to scan their faces.

  The commander’s phone rang. He flipped it open and listened. Then he smiled and hung up. Vaulting over the bar, he grabbed a bottle and poured himself a shot of rum. Downing it in one, he clicked his teeth then set the glass down on the counter. Turning to face the room he said, “Brothers and sisters, our scouts say the target did not make it outside during that most inconvenient exodus, which means he’s still inside.”

  He.

  The Rogues made enthusiastic noises and re-doubled their efforts. The Imp – with its purple, scar-covered skin like a warped version of the décor – ambled his way up the stairs towards me. His rough hand gripped my chin, and I felt my head being yanked up. I blew hair out of my face and stared into his yellow eyes. He frowned at me, as if trying to solve a riddle. Then let go.

  He headed for the bathroom.

  What the commander had said rang in my head.

  He’s still inside.

  Enough is enough.

  I glanced over at Scarlett and pointed a finger at her, then at the two Rogues covering the nearby exit. A pure black Oni and a Skinshifter wearing an imprint of a stocky man’s body. Scarlett nodded and slid a hand slowly into the slip of her dress, pulling out the dagger. I clicked the bracelet.

  “Del, you got an Imp coming your way,” I whispered.

  “Understood.”

  “Everyone, on my command, let’s do a bit of clean up.”

  I waited until my first target – a Succubus with a shaved head but striking features – looked down at a trembling waiter and jumped to my feet.

  “Now!” I shouted into the bracelet.

  We took the Rogues by complete surprise. I ran straight to the Succubus and leapt into the air, driving the base of my boot into her sternum. Still airborne, I spun around and slammed my back leg into the same spot. I made a final turn and smashed my front leg into her chest once more. The Umbra let out a strangled gasp and flew over the balcony, smashing through the arch window below like a rock and tumbling into the street. A few seconds later I heard the screech of tyres followed by a thump as wheels ran over body.

  “God damn Guardians!” bellowed the commander and crashed right through the bar in his fury. “I want every single one of them in bits!”

  “Does he mean he wants to make us laugh?” mocked Scarlett as she wrenched a Blood Brother from the Oni’s stomach. It roared and slumped into a sizeable heap.

  “Who knows what the SOS want these days?” chuckled Barton below, dodging a Skinshifter that had gone feral and pounced at him. He spun around and unleashed twin jets of flames from his palms, igniting the beast. As it thrashed about in agony, he sprinted over and removed its head with a quick slash of a silver scimitar.

  “Probably just a hug,” chuckled Grey as he rammed his gun into the mouth of an Incubus and blew out the back of his skull. “All problems can be solved with a hug.”

  “Pay attention!” I ordered, diving out the way of a burst of bullets. I pulled out my own gun and dispatched the Bloodling attacking me with an oak round between the eyes.

  At that moment, the bathroom door burst open and Delagio came flying through it. His back slammed into a pillar and the whole balcony shuddered. He cast me a sheepish look and then sprinted back inside.

  Wait, where’s Aran? I wondered, looking around.

  A brick hit my cheekbone. I careered to the floor and felt blood fill in my mouth. I flicked my head up to see the fuming commander wielding what was actually a war hammer. The glistening black rock of its smooth head was immediately identifiable. Adamantine – one of the hardest substances in Pandemonia.

  Great.

  I spat the blood out and wiped the remainder with the back of my hand. I
barely had time to climb to my feet before the hammer was swung again. I pivoted out of the way and tried to regain the advantage, but he was in a bad mood. The snarling Vampire heaved the hammer out in a constant stream of furious arcs. I jumped back, hopping over cowering people, and each time he missed me by inches.

  . Tables shattered and barstools flipped as the constant assault continued. I waited for what I thought was a thin window of opportunity and swiped out with my remaining Blood Brother.

  I didn’t time it right.

  The war hammer smashed into my hand, and I heard the unmistakable sound of my fingers snapping. I felt the agony soon after. I couldn’t stop the scream from escaping my lips. The dagger flew from my crippled hand and somersaulted down onto the stage below, sliding under the piano. Then the war hammer was driven upwards into my stomach with the force of a dozen mule kicks. I felt myself lifting into the air. My heels connected with the balcony railings and I turned sharply upside down. I landed hard on a table below, which exploded in a shower of glass and cutlery. I rolled off the heap and collapsed onto the ground, retching with the absolute agony that filled up my body. My belt was a smashed wreck on the other side of the restaurant. My weapons were with it.

  The pain was unbelievable. As I tried to stand up, my head swam. I could barely breathe. Waves of darkness seeped in around me. I forced a wheezing breath and composed myself.

  The commander vaulted down from the balcony, landing with a force that made all the glasses on the tables tremble. Within a split second, he was storming towards me, war hammer poised for another attack. I knew that if the hammer connected again, I would be out for the count. That wouldn’t be good.

  I steadied myself and scanned the room. Everyone I could see was busy with their own fights. God only knew where Aran was. I was about twenty feet from the nearest Blood Brother. The pianist lay between my target and me. Straight through him was the most direct route. But I had to ensure he didn’t end up as collateral damage. Ignoring my pains, I grabbed his leg in my good hand. “Sorry!” I shouted as I slid him backwards, hard. He sped along the floor, screaming as he piled into a potted plant. Probably a few broken bones, but better than—