One Bad Decision

by Michael Anderle

Shay shrugged. “Then ask him.”

  The bounty hunter nodded and dialed the Professor.

  The older man answered on the first ring. “I understand you already located the circlet. Good job, lad.”

  “Yeah, but the cops have it. I wasn’t about to try to take it from them.”

  The Professor laughed. “Nor would I ask you to. The point of hiring you was to make sure that the most dangerous of those artifacts didn’t end up in the wrong hands. It was always my intention to give them back to the rightful owners once you recovered them and…handled any unfortunate dark forces involved in their theft.”

  “So you don’t mind if I kill a few of the bastards along the way?”

  “Let’s just say that I’m a big believer in people bringing on their fates through their actions.” A quiet chuckle followed.

  James grunted. “Okay. You forgot to tell me that the tracking artifact would only be good for last night.”

  “I sensed that you were focused on a quick resolution. I didn’t see the need to burden you with what appeared to be unnecessary details.”

  James considered his response for several seconds. He couldn’t come up with a good reason to lie to Smite-Williams.

  “I was pissed because Shay was at the museum when they raided it. They’d taken her.”

  “And is the lovely Miz Carson unharmed?” An unusual level of menace infused the Professor’s tone.

  The bounty hunter snorted. “Yeah, she’s fine. She even killed one of the fuckers while she was in handcuffs.”

  “Ah, then you can both focus on recovering the artifacts.” The regular cheeriness returned to the Professor’s voice.

  “Yeah, I guess, but I’m running out of ideas on how to track them quickly. I do know that some are already hitting the black market. I’ve got a guy or two I’m gonna talk to about that.”

  James figured that job would be perfect for Tyler but didn’t want to mention the man’s name in case the disdain went both ways.

  “I’m very glad to hear that,” the Professor responded.

  “Shay talked to a gnome contact of hers and he was able to confirm that the objects are all still in the general area, but they’ve got some sort of anti-tracking spell on them. He couldn’t give her more info than that. He said they might be in motion.” The bounty hunter frowned. “You got anything else that might help?”

  The Professor sighed. “Alas, for several reasons, I don’t have immediate access to anything else that would help you, especially if they’ve already implemented counter-spells, but I have confidence that between you and Miz Carson you’ll be able to find the items. Is there anything else I can do to facilitate their recovery?”

  “I’ve heard that the guys at the consulate aren’t happy I’m on this job.”

  “Hmm. I see. I was wondering how that might play out, given what happened in court. There are so many political ramifications to consider when it comes to Oriceran matters.” He chuckled. “You’d think they would have been happy at us solving one of their problems.”

  James’ hand tightened around his phone. “Don’t give a shit about any of that. I just want to make sure they don’t fuck with me on this. This shit is personal because the fuckers grabbed Shay, and if the uptight assholes from the consulate don’t want to get hurt, they better stay the fuck out of my way, or I’ll do to them what I did to the Drow queen.”

  The Professor chuckled quietly. “Very well, then, James. I have a few strings I can pull. At the very least, I can ensure that the Oricerans attached to the consulate leave you alone.”

  “Thanks,” James rumbled. “I should get back to finding those artifacts.”

  “Please do.”

  The bounty hunter hung up and shook his head.

  Shay looked up from her phone. “What’s wrong?”

  “I wanted Heather to have a vacation, but I think it’s time I called in some reinforcements for Peyton.”

  Yev paced back and forth in his consular office, a deep frown on his face. “I can’t believe this.”

  Erai held up her hands in a placating gesture. “I don’t understand why you’re so upset.”

  The consul spun and stared at the woman. The other Light Elf had only been on Earth for a week, part of a reshuffling of some of the consulate staff. Her eager earnestness alternated between refreshing and insufferable.

  Yev took a deep breath and dropped into his seat. “You are familiar with everything that has happened with James Brownstone, are you not?”

  The female elf frowned and nodded. “I was fully briefed, but I was under the impression the issue was centered around preserving stability in the Drow situation. With Qu…with Laena no longer queen, why the enmity toward this James Brownstone?”

  The consul sighed. “You don’t yet understand the political implications. This James Brownstone is a dangerous element, and now he has reason to distrust not only the Drow but our entire consular presence here. The last thing we need is for him to be so close to such a sensitive matter.” He shook his head. “Not only that, he takes savagery and barbarism to new heights. No wonder he was able to defeat Laena.”

  A light melody filled the air, and Yev blinked. He snapped once, and an image of the upper half of a smiling Light Elf winked into existence.

  Yev’s eyes widened. Not just any elf. Correk.

  The consul smoothed his expression. “It’s been a long time, Correk. Last time we talked in earnest, you were just another servant of the king, same as me. How you’ve moved up in the world. Both worlds, I suppose.”

  The other elf shrugged. “I’m still a servant of the king.”

  “But only one of us is the Fixer.”

  Erai blinked and slapped a hand over her mouth.

  Correk chuckled. “You make it sound so impressive. It’s mostly a huge and annoying responsibility.”

  “It comes with access to the rarest artifacts and spell books.” Yev didn’t bother to hide the jealousy in his voice.

  “Which I use to protect the magical beings of Earth.” Correk sighed. “Speaking of that, I have a favor I would ask of you.”

  Yev forced a smile. “I’d be more than happy to assist the Fixer.”

  “It’s come to my attention that James Brownstone and Shay Carson are involved in a search for some stolen artifacts.”

  The consul’s smile faded. “Shay Carson? I don’t know who that is, but I’m well aware of Brownstone’s involvement. I’m hoping to pressure the human authorities into removing him. He’s too much of a disruptive element.”

  “I can’t say I disagree with that assessment overall, but he also tends to get things done. I’d ask that you not fight his involvement with this, at the minimum. If he comes to you in need of protection, I’d like it to be offered as well.”

  “Well, if it’s for the Fixer, I can hardly refuse, can I?”

  Correk let out a quiet snort. “Everything I do is for the stability of all magical beings on Earth.”

  Yev forced his mouth into another smile. “So you do. I’ll see to it that Brownstone’s given our blessing, Fixer.”

  “That’s all I can ask. Thank you for your assistance. Be well.”

  Yev nodded. With that, Correk’s image faded. He turned to the wide-eyed Erai. “Make sure that the consulate staff knows we’re extending our blessing to Brownstone’s involvement in this as a personal favor for the Fixer.”

  13

  Seems like I almost never come to this place anymore, James thought. Am I wasting money by even keeping it?

  He carried a suitcase filled with weapons out of the storage unit into the hallway. It joined several others he’d already removed. He stepped back into the room and through the open door in the false wall that led to what properly constituted his warehouse.

  It might not be as fancy as any of Shay’s, but it’d gotten the job done for years.

  Shelf after dusty shelf lay empty. Only a few suitcases remained. His gaze dipped to the secure safe that contained a smaller safe. The two us
ed to form the resting place for his amulet, a secure and hidden place for a dangerous artifact, but now that he’d promised Alison to keep it on him, the safes seem pointless.

  Wonder if Whispy Doom ever got annoyed that I kept him in there all the time? Not like he’s mentioned it since I’ve been able to understand him.

  He shook his head and grabbed another suitcase, one of the few go bags he had left. Before, they’d made perfect sense. Now, he simply didn’t care. He kept most of his equipment in his basement, and with the amulet always available, it dramatically decreased his risk going into any single encounter.

  Might as well keep all my shit where I can get to it easily. At this point, it’s not like the cops don’t know I’m packing all my crap. Who am I hiding it from here? Bounties?

  The bounty hunter carried the go bag into the hallway.

  Shay leaned against a wall in the main unit, looking at her short nails. Mostly empty boxes filled the room. A few old truck parts lay around, just in case anyone ever broke in. He didn’t want them wondering about why he was renting the unit, leaving a loose thread that begged to be pulled.

  “Angels Elite Indoor Long-Term Storage,” Shay muttered. “And this is what you call a warehouse? I can’t believe my man would dare call this a warehouse. It’s an insult to warehouses everywhere.”

  James hurried and grabbed another suitcase, this one filled with specialty electronics. Jammers of various sorts, mostly. He set it in the hallway.

  He smirked. “Some of us don’t need to compensate for anything with the size or number of our warehouses.”

  Shay winced and shook a fist. “Okay, that was a good hit, but give me some time, and I’ll get you back, James Brownstone.”

  He retrieved one last suitcase and dropped it in the hallway with a grunt. Something metallic jostled inside.

  Shay pointed at the suitcase. “What was in that one? More jammers?”

  James shook his head. “Lots and lots of grenades. I was worried about keeping explosives in the house before with Alison, but, shit, I had her throw a few during the summer, and she’s a teenager, not a toddler, as well as a Drow with powerful magic. Besides, she knows not to fuck around with them.”

  Shay laughed. “Yeah, I would have loved to have seen you talk about that in court.” She lowered her voice. “Your Honor, I think my daughter should be allowed to handle live grenades. After all, she’s a Drow princess and can probably fry your brain by snapping her fingers.”

  James grunted. “Handling weapons teaches responsibility. At least with weapons, people get that they are dangerous. With cars, any random teen gets to drive around tons of death, and people act like that makes all the sense in the world. Magic makes more sense than that shit.”

  “Don’t talk to me about teens and responsibility. I was killing people when I was fifteen.” Shay pointed to the suitcase. “Just saying, maybe treat your bag filled with grenades with a teensy bit more caution.”

  “Doing shit how I always do it, and I’m not dead yet.”

  “I guess it really is better to be lucky than good.” Shay sauntered over to the false wall and peered inside. “This place is all but empty now. Nothing sadder than empty storage. It makes the whole thing feel pointless.”

  “What? Should I fill it up with random crap like you have in half of Warehouse Five?”

  “It’s not random crap. Well, it kind of is, but it has a point.” Shay smirked. “I have that as camouflage. Just saying, this place is pretty damned empty. I’m surprised. It’s been a while since I was here last.”

  “I don’t come here much anymore.” James patted his amulet. “The main reason I used to come was for Whispy Doom, and I keep him with me all the time now.”

  Shay pointed to one of the remaining boxes. “What’s in the last few boxes?”

  “Mementos. Some of the few I have left. Most of my shit went up in smoke when the fuckers blew up my first house.” The bounty hunter shrugged. “But it’s not like I can keep all my shit locked up, so most of the crap that I gave a fuck about that was here I’ve already brought to my new house. I’ve got a lot more people watching my back now, so I figure my house won’t get blown up as easily.”

  Shay took one last look at the few boxes remaining in the hidden compartment. “Wonder what kind of mementos those are? Care to enlighten me?”

  “You want to know?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You’ll find out someday.” James grinned. “When I think you’re ready.”

  Shay laughed. “You’re such an asshole.”

  “Yeah. We agree on that.” He nodded toward the hallway. “I’ve got more than enough shit here to keep us in ass-kicking for a week. Did you still want to grab something from one of your warehouses?”

  “Yeah, a few things from Warehouses Three and Five. Might as well grab the Masamune just in case we run into some tougher magical defense. These guys do have magic, so we shouldn’t assume we can just gun their asses down.” She smiled. “And I figure if you can kill a Drow Queen with the sword, that should be good enough for anyone we will run into.”

  James grunted. “I defeated her, but I didn’t kill her.”

  “Close enough.” Shay blew out a breath as she stepped into the darkened hallway. “I’m ready to find these assholes and pay them back.”

  The bounty hunter’s face tightened. “So am I. You thinking about getting Lily involved in this?”

  Shay shook her head. “No. I’m training her to be a tomb raider, not a bounty hunter. This is gonna get bloodier than she needs to be around.”

  “You that thirsty for revenge?”

  “Look, I don’t even care that much that they tried to kill me. Lots of people try to kill me. I’m more embarrassed than anything.”

  James stared at her. “Embarrassed?”

  “Yeah.” Shay sighed. “I got caught in a wide-area sleep spell. I even saw it coming. It’s fucking rookie shit. I’ve faced way worse than that on tomb raids. Hell, I would have laughed at Alison or Lily if it happened to them.”

  The bounty hunter shook his head. “But Alison can do magic, and Lily can see the future. Sometimes, at least.”

  “Still not an excuse.” Shay snickered. “Don’t worry, once we track these assholes down, I’ll earn my pride back.” She grabbed a suitcase. “Let’s load up your truck and head to some real warehouses so I can remind you how it’s done.”

  The driver tightened his hands around the wheel. “This is bullshit. I can’t believe we’re supposed to drive until the transfer.”

  Their abrupt fleeing of the warehouse on Logan’s order had left the man unsettled, and the fact he’d only gotten a few hours of sleep didn’t help things.

  His partner looked at him and shook his head. “Are you kidding me?”

  “What?”

  “You did hear who showed up right after we left the warehouse, right? Fucking Brownstone, then the AET. If he didn’t kill us, they would have arrested our asses.”

  The driver changed lanes. “Just saying. We were supposed to grab the shit and sit in that warehouse, but now we’re driving all over L.A.”

  “The more we move, the harder it is for them to track us. Stick to the plan; no more than twenty-minute stops or shorter. We took too long the other day when we transferred some of the cargo to the other van.”

  The driver ground his teeth. “I should have known this job was gonna go south. I could smell it. Ain’t no such thing as an easy job. We’ve gotten too cocky with this shit.”

  His partner snorted. “It doesn’t have to be an easy job, it just has to be worth doing.”

  A few minutes passed in tense silence until the driver pulled into a gas station.

  “What are you doing?” his partner asked. “You’ve got plenty of gas.”

  “I’ve got to take a leak.”

  The other man frowned. “But we’ve got a transfer schedule. We need to be on time. Logan or Tak don’t like guys who don’t do what they’re told.”

  The d
river threw open the door and stepped outside. “I said I have to take a fucking leak.”

  “We need to get going.”

  “I ain’t driving with piss down my leg!” The driver flipped him off.

  Tyler rested his elbow on the bar as he scrolled through his texts. Word had gotten out that he’d shown up with Brownstone at a warehouse. A few people had accused him of being a sellout to the police. Others wanted to know if another betting pool was coming.

  Fuck. How did shit get so complicated? Did I just screw myself over?

  Tyler had never thought of himself as a man who took sides. In fact, he’d prided himself on being able to make money off any situation. Loyalty was for suckers. It wasn’t profitable.

  I wasn’t helping Brownstone anyway. I was helping Maria.

  He scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed.

  Kathy approached the bar, a tray of empty glasses in hand. “Problem?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. Just tired.”

  She smirked. “There are worse things in life than people thinking you’re a scumbag who might sell them out at the drop of a hat.”

  Tyler frowned at her for a moment, more concerned about how she had so effortlessly picked up on what he was thinking than the lack of respect for her boss.

  He set his phone on the bar. “This place can’t function unless it’s neutral ground.”

  Kathy stepped behind the bar and set the tray down. “Sure. This place. Not the city.”

  “What do you mean?”

  The brunette gestured at different customers. A pair of huge bikers sat in one corner. Surprisingly, they were downing pink strawberry daiquiris. Three obvious triad members held down another corner. A group of gangbangers had taken over most of the front tables. Several business jerks and obvious tourists filled the rest of the place, their faces showing how excited they were to be around so many rough characters.

  Tyler shrugged. “I still don’t get your point.”

  “Cops don’t arrest anyone who comes in. Crooks don’t start crap.” She crossed her arms. “You’ve got a good business going just from the bar now. Doesn’t matter if you’re an official information broker, you’re going to hear things.”