by K'wan
Tears welled in Sable’s eyes as she knew the end was at hand. With her last breath, she asked a favor of her killer: “Tell Magic . . . I never stopped loving him.”
Kahllah nodded before yanking the chain. Sable’s head made a faint snapping sound as it came off her shoulders, rolling to a stop at Kahllah’s feet. Her eyes stared up at the assassin accusingly. Even in death the girl’s face was just as beautiful as the first time Kahllah had seen her. What could her life have been, had she not fallen in with the enemies of the Lotus? She said a quick prayer for the misguided girl before turning back to Tay. Unfortunately, there was no sign of him. While his lover was being killed, he’d slipped out a back door. It didn’t matter. She had his scent; he could crawl into a hole and still not find refuge from her blades.
As Kahllah was making her way from the burning structure, a vibrating sensation startled her. It was her cell phone, tucked into one of the pockets of her harness. She was hardly up for conversation, especially with the man whose name flashed across the screen. She’d almost forgotten about Dominic and the way she’d left things. At the last second, she decided she owed him an answer. “Dom, this isn’t really a good time,” she said while rushing down the back stairs.
“Guess again,” an unfamiliar voice replied.
Kahllah stopped in her tracks. “Who is this? Where’s Dominic?”
“Dom can’t come to the phone right now.”
“If you’ve hurt him—”
“Your boyfriend is good, but I can’t say for how long. I told you that the next time you involved yourself in my business I was going to break your heart instead of your body. You’ve broken your vow to love none above the Order, Lotus. I’m surprised at you.”
“What do you want?”
“What I’ve always wanted . . . you. If you want to save your boyfriend, meet me at the place where it all ends. Humble yourself before your betters and he may just survive the night. Don’t keep me waiting too long, little bruja.” He hung up.
The man didn’t need to tell her where he was. Where it all ends was something said among the Brotherhood. It referenced a predetermined spot where a sworn member would execute their last kill, before ending their service to the Order. There was only one place all this could end for Kahllah.
Chapter 16
Picking a lock on his knees in an alley reminded Detective Wolf of his days before the police force. Growing up, he had been good at two things: stealing and boxing. The former brought him the most joy. Unlike most kids, who stole out of necessity, Wolf stole to piss his parents off. His dad was a blues singer, and ran the household with an iron fist. He kept his kids on the straight and narrow, despite having a cocaine addiction, and when they strayed they got the business end of his belt. Wolf used to resent his dad for being so hard on him, but when he got older he understood that his father was just preparing him to go out into a cold and unforgiving world.
Wolf was sure he could’ve gotten a search warrant for the place, but that would have taken time, a luxury he didn’t have. Things were unfolding faster than he had expected. Since securing his prisoner, he had been tuning in to the police scanner as all hell seemed to be breaking loose around the city. A reported grease fire at a restaurant, an explosion on an unoccupied floor of an office building—the city was jumping. To the department the events seemed random, but Wolf suspected otherwise.
It was his fault, really. Kahllah was carving a path of destruction in the name of her honor, and he had allowed her the freedom to do it. A sensible man would’ve taken her in and sorted it all out later, but Wolf had never been sensible. Besides, he wasn’t okay with arresting people he didn’t believe were guilty. Kahllah was no saint, but Wolf knew what she was about. Though there might’ve been plenty of blood on her hands, it was unlikely that any of it was Cobb’s. The only way to put an end to this would be to either catch the real perp, or put down someone he had come to almost consider a friend. There was no way she would come quietly. This was what had him breaking into a nightclub like a common thief.
Originally, he had planned on just walking in the front door and causing a scene, as he was known to do, but the club wasn’t open tonight. That wouldn’t stop him from finding what he sought, which was something that tied Magic to what was going on. When he’d first been put on Magic’s scent, Wolf worried that he was chasing his own tail with the lead, but that changed when he reached out to some of his street contacts to see what he could learn about the character. Much to his surprise, Magic was heavier in the game than he thought, or at least he had been. According to his sources, Magic used to run with a crew that had been responsible for some high-stakes robberies over the years. At their height, they were considered the best at what they did. Their signature was high-tech weapons that no one else on the streets had access to. This would explain Ben’s helmet. He tried to probe deeper to see if he could get a line on who was supplying the weapons, but no one would talk. It was a question he would have to ask Magic once he found him. Hopefully his little B-and-E would provide him with some clue as to how.
The door he entered through put him in a storage room. Cases of crates bearing different liquor stamps sat all over; judging from the number, Voodoo must host a lot of thirsty patrons night in and night out. There was enough liquor to water all of Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Wolf drew his gun before moving deeper. The place appeared to be empty, but he wasn’t taking any chances. If the helmet Ben had attacked him with was any indication of what types of weapons these guys were carrying, there was no telling what Magic would be armed with.
As he was moving through the darkened room, he accidentally knocked over one of the liquor crates. He tensed, waiting for the loud crash that would surely announce his presence, but there was nothing. Curious, he bent down and picked the crate up. It was too light to hold bottles, though it wasn’t empty. With a knife he pried open its top. Wolf was surprised when he peered inside and, instead of finding champagne as was stamped on the crate, he found what looked like cocaine. There were several neatly wrapped parcels inside. He suspected the other boxes carried the same.
Legitimate businessman my ass, Wolf chuckled to himself. He’d come looking for a way to connect Magic to Cobb’s murder, and had instead stumbled upon what would likely be a career-making drug bust.
“Find what you were looking for, Detective?” a voice came from behind Wolf. He turned and found a man aiming a gun at him.
The face was familiar to Wolf. He had seen him before, more than once. “You!” the detective blurted out, but his voice was muted by the sound of the gun going off. Wolf felt a searing burn when the bullet took him off his feet. He had heard stories from some of his comrades about what it felt like to be shot, and though each story differed, the one thing they had in common was the burning. It was as if Wolf’s body had been set on fire. The pain only lasted a few seconds but it felt like forever, and then came the numbness. Euphoria settled over him. It was so relaxing, he would perhaps sleep for a week if he closed his eyes. After all the running around over the last couple days, sleep sounded good. He was tired . . . oh so tired. As he drifted off into peaceful oblivion, his last thoughts were that Kahllah had been telling the truth about being innocent and he would never have a chance to apologize for doubting her.
* * *
Kahllah felt an eerie cold settle in her bones as she stood at the entrance of Voodoo. The last time she had visited, it had been alive with activity, but tonight it was dark and seemed more ominous. Without question, she was walking into a trap, but what choice did she have? Somewhere inside the man she cared deeply about was in danger, and it was her fault. In her mind she could hear her father’s warning to her the day she received her mask: The vows you have taken are very much like those a bride takes on her wedding day. Promise to love, honor, and obey this sacred Order above all others for the rest of your days. You are a weapon now, nothing more. The minute you allow yourself to forget that, the Brotherhood will remind you.
At the time she didn’t understand, but now, as she stood before the nightclub, it all made sense. Every time she allowed someone to get close to her, the Brotherhood took them away. She couldn’t let that happen to Dominic. Once she freed him from his captors, she would free him from her. He hadn’t broken his vows, she had.
Kahllah wasn’t surprised to find the front doors unlocked. They were expecting her. As she walked down the dark hall toward the main area, she remained vigilant in the event that there were more minions involved than the ones she’d faced at the lab. An honorable member of the Brotherhood would’ve faced her straight up, but her enemy had already proved himself dishonorable, just like the one who had spawned him.
The main area was better lit than the hall, but only slightly. The bar, as well as the dance floor, were shrouded in darkness. Over the VIP area shone a single light, above the table she and Audrey had been seated at the other day. This was where she found Dominic. He was sitting in a chair with his hands shackled behind him. A blindfold covered his eyes, and a length of cloth, secured with tape, gagged him. She picked her way through the room, kyoketsu-shoge in hand, poised to strike out at an instant. Closer, she got a better look: he was a little roughed up, and his shirt was torn, but he seemed otherwise unharmed. When she removed his blindfold, Dominic blinked against the light. The sight of her mask spooked him, and he recoiled in fear. She knelt before him. “Dominic, relax. It’s me.” She took off her mask. “I’m going to get you out of here,” she said, removing his gag.
“Kahllah?” His reaction was one of both surprise and relief. “What are you doing here? And what are you wearing?”
“Dom, I’m sorry that you got caught up in this, and I promise to answer all your questions, but first let me get you somewhere safe.”
“You mean to tell me there’s a party going on in my spot and I wasn’t invited?” Magic said as he walked in. He had a sawed-off shotgun braced against his hip and pointed at Kahllah. But when he recognized her, a look of shock crossed his face. “What are you doing here?”
“You brought me.” She rose to her feet, eyes burning with anger. Her kyoketsu hung at her side. “You requested an audience with the Black Lotus, and so you have it, Magic. Or would you prefer if I called you John Smith?”
“John who? I got a notification that the silent alarm went off, and thought somebody was robbing me. I was expecting a burglar, not a crazed journalist in her pajamas. I don’t know what’s going on, but you’d better tell me something or I’m going to let this pump sort it out.” Magic pulled the slide.
Kahllah studied his eyes for signs of deception, but found none. This wasn’t making sense. All signs pointed to him being John Smith, but what if she had been wrong? What if this was yet another strange twist in what was proving to be her most bizarre mission to date?
Magic, seeming to sense that there was something more, looked like he was about to lower his shotgun, until he spotted Dominic tied to the chair. “What the—” was as far as he got before the top of his head exploded.
Tay stood over Magic’s corpse holding a smoking gun. “I knew setting off that alarm would draw you out into the open.” His face and coveralls were still stained with Sable’s blood. There was a maddened lilt to his voice when he spoke, like a man close to the edge. “You always did love your dreams more than you loved us. I tried to tell Sable you wasn’t about shit.” He spat on the body before firing two more bullets into it. “She wanted you to have those, by the way.”
“And what prompts a dog to turn on its master?” Kahllah wondered out loud.
“This coming from the bitch he hired to kill his own people?” Tay shot back. “Magic thought he could play me for a fool, and look what it got him.”
“I was no more in the service of Magic than he was John Smith.” Kahllah chuckled as she stared down at the corpse. Not because she found the situation funny, but because she had allowed herself to be so easily manipulated. “It would appear that we’ve both been played for fools by someone tonight, and I doubt it was Magic.”
“Bullshit!” Tay spat. “You’re lying trying to save your ass. I know it was Magic who put you on us.”
“No, I’m afraid she’s telling the truth,” said a voice from the dark bar area. He had been sitting so still that one could’ve easily mistaken him for a statue or some other inanimate object. It was the man who had engineered it all, the doppelgänger. “The Black Lotus was indeed dispatched to kill your team, but it was I who set it in motion, not Magic. You killing him was an unexpected twist.”
“What, did Party City have a sale on Halloween costumes?” Tay looked from the impostor to Kahllah and back. “The fuck are you?”
“His name is Seven-Palms,” Kahllah said.
“Very good, Lotus.” The impostor nodded at her. “Though I haven’t gone by that name in years, thanks to you. These days I am called Golden Arm.” He removed one of his black gloves and revealed a mechanical hand the color of gold. “Beautiful, isn’t it? This new arm was Tiger Lily’s last gift to me before the Brotherhood betrayed her.”
Kahllah laughed. “You are as delusional now as you were when you stepped into the circle thinking you could beat me. It was Tiger Lily who betrayed us when she placed her finances above her vows.”
“Is that the lie the Order is spewing to cover what they did?” Golden Arm shook his head. “Tiger Lily was always loyal to the Order. The things she did were never about money; they were about progress. The Brotherhood is dying because they are stuck in their antiquated ways. Tiger Lily was seeking to usher in a new day, and for that they wanted her killed. But for as long as there is breath in my body, her legacy will live on.”
“Then let’s make this quick.” Kahllah started swaying her bladed chain. The two killers squared off, but before they could engage, the sound of a gunshot filled the room.
Tay stood there holding his smoking pistol in the air. “I hate to break up this little reunion of yours, but have the two of you forgotten that there’s a man standing here with a gun?”
“Ah, yes, how could I forget you, Tay?” Golden Arm said. “You were my wild card in all this. He who is willing to betray his own for the promise of riches. I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to outlive the others. I guess you’ve proven yourself the most resourceful. That’s something I didn’t see coming when we first met.”
“Homey, I don’t know you from a can of paint,” Tay responded.
“Oh, right. You probably don’t recognize me wearing this.” Golden Arm removed his mask. This was the first time Kahllah had ever seen his face. He was handsome, with olive skin and black hair that was neatly cropped at his ears.
“You?” Tay couldn’t hide his shock. It was the man who had been supplying his crew with their weapons.
“Yes, your beloved benefactor,” Golden Arm confirmed.
“This doesn’t make sense. We were your partners. You gave us the toys and in return we put a lot of money in your pocket. Why fuck it all up by trying to have us killed?”
“Oh, did you think you were special?” Golden Arm smiled. “Magic already had a preexisting arrangement with us for the weapons, but he no longer wanted to play the game. I could’ve picked any number of street rats to arm and send off on a fool’s errand, but taking the time to train and properly motivate them would’ve caused me to miss my window of opportunity. Your group already knew the weapons, and you, Tay, were all too eager to prove to Magic that you were a better leader. So you made the perfect candidate. You were so thirsty to hold the reins of power that you never stopped to wonder why it was so easy for an underqualified thug like you to usurp Magic’s connect.” He laughed. “Did you really think you could ever walk a mile in Magic’s shoes? For all Magic’s faults, he was an honorable man and a good leader. He earned my respect. You are nothing.”
Tay felt like shit on a stick. All this time he had prided himself on the fact that he’d earned his position at the head of the table, that the benefactor dealt with him from a place of respe
ct. The whole time, he had been nothing more than a pawn. The worst part was that Sable had gotten killed because of it. “Muthafucka!” He raised his gun. Before he could fire, however, Golden Arm shot him once in the chest, taking him off his feet.
Golden Arm stood over Tay holding a sleek pistol, the same one he had used to kill Detective Cobb. “Don’t feel bad, Tay. You can’t win a chess game without sacrificing a few pawns. Now, go and be with your lover.” He shot Tay in the head, ending him. With that out of the way, he turned back to the Black Lotus. “You and I have some unfinished business.” His mechanical hand rotated. “You took something from me, and I intend to take everything from you.” His eyes landed on Dominic, who looked about ready to wet himself.
“Don’t.” Kahllah moved in front of him protectively.
“No need to fret, Lotus. You won’t have to watch your lover die. On my honor, I’ll kill him last.”
“You speak of honor, yet you bring a gun to a duel. If this is to be the end, then let us observe the rules of combat.”
“Very well.” Golden Arm tossed the gun to the ground. “Let’s finish this.”
Kahllah whirled her kyoketsu over her head, then hurled the bladed end, narrowly missing Golden Arm’s face. He countered with a spinning kick to her side that knocked the wind out of her. Before she could recover, he was on her again. He tried to punch through the back of her head, but she moved at the last moment. When his fist hit the floor, the tiles cracked. She danced out of his reach and tried to get her second wind.
“Running will only delay the inevitable, Lotus.” Golden Arm charged toward her.
Kahllah managed to avoid his mechanical hand, but took an elbow to the jaw. She struck back with the tip of her blade to his stomach; it failed to even pierce his skin. Her third strike hit his vulnerable spot from the first time they met, the crook of his arm, but it had no effect. He responded by slamming his palm into her chest and sending her skidding across the floor. Kahllah rolled to a stop near where Tay’s corpse lay.
