Enhancer 2

by Wyatt Kane

  So many people in New Lincoln were like Ty. They spent their time doing stuff they didn’t enjoy for a repulsive manager or faceless corporation, never getting anywhere and living a single paycheck from financial disaster.

  As far as Ty knew, Brad wasn’t wealthy. But he’d found a way to turn something he enjoyed into a career. He lived his life his way, and that was something that was more than impressive given the state of the world.

  Maybe Brad would be able to weather this latest financial setback as well. He’d just had a big score. Maybe it would be enough to cover his share.

  As for Ty himself, he planned to go to the Concubine Club, beg Angie for his job back. Depending on how that went, maybe talk with Martin as well.

  Maybe he would try to squeeze both jobs in at once, at least until he paid back this debt.

  Or maybe he could somehow use his skill and repair the apartment wall himself.

  Brad muttered something about making an effort to find some high-value goods to sell, and Ty suggested they each think about cheaper alternatives to getting the wall repaired. Then Ty said his goodbyes and made his way back down the stairs, his head still swimming with shock and uncertainty.

  When he reached the sidewalk, he noted that the regular New Lincoln drizzle had already begun. But at least it wasn’t too cold, and Dinah’s bike was right where he’d left it, unmolested and as sparklingly black and awesome as ever.

  With a sigh, Ty deactivated the anti-theft system and climbed on. He was about to slide his helmet over his head when once again, his device sounded an alert.

  It was Dinah.

  “Ty, where are you?” she said. Before he could answer, she continued. “I think I might have found a lead. Or at least, a hint of one. I put out a call, and one of my contacts responded.”

  It took Ty a few moments to catch up with what she was saying. The thing with the contractor was still too large in his head. But when he pushed all that aside and focused on her words, he couldn’t help but feel excited. Yet her expression didn’t match the magnitude of the news. She seemed uncharacteristically serious. Worried, almost.

  “Well, that’s good, isn’t it?” he asked.

  “It would be, yes. Except that the contact isn’t the most savory of characters. He’s from one of the crime families we’ve been trying to put out of business.”

  Ty didn’t know what to say. “Oh,” he said.

  “Yes. Exactly. They’re into sex trafficking, drugs, blackmail, protection rackets, everything you can think of that makes New Lincoln less than it could be. But they – he – says they have information, and wants to meet. Tempest is looking to go, but normally would have taken Zach along for something like this. Just in case.”

  Ty understood where she was heading. He was nodding before she even asked.

  “I’m not comfortable with Tempest going alone. Can you go with her?” the deerkin finished.

  “Of course!” Ty said. “Anything. Where do I meet her?” He was more than happy to help out where he could, and it would help to distract him from his financial issues.

  Dinah’s grin returned. “There’s time yet. Just come back here and we’ll give you all the details.”

  With that, the deerkin blinked off, and Ty put on his helmet. Despite everything, his job and what to do about it was going to have to wait.

  27: Rubio’s Bistro

  The persistent drizzle put a dampener on Ty’s spirits as he made his way back to the mansion. Or maybe it was the lingering despair over the meeting with the contractor.

  Either way, the soggy roads and gloom conspired to slow traffic to a relative crawl, and while Ty was able to weave in and out, it was far from the free-flowing travel he preferred. Yet it was still better than any form of public transport, and beat walking without even trying.

  Despite the difficult conditions, he was still disappointed when the familiar building came into view. One day, he promised himself, he would go for a long ride, if Dinah was okay with it. Other than flying, it was Ty’s favorite form of travel.

  Perhaps he would ask one of the women in his life along for the ride.

  He parked the bike back in the garage and made his way upstairs, making sure to close the door and reactivate the shield behind him. Quite deliberately, he forced himself to forget about his financial woes for the time being. He would deal with them later, and Tempest and Dinah didn’t need to share in that particular stress.

  He found Tempest waiting for him when he reached the penthouse.

  “There you are,” she said with a smile. She looked to be completely recovered from her exhaustion. Dinah, it seemed, was right. Even though it had only been a couple of hours since Tempest had arrived from her conversation with the police, she looked bright and refreshed and ready to face whatever was to come.

  She eyed him up and down. “Looking good,” she said. “Is that one of the Zach’s jackets?”

  Ty nodded. “None of my own clothes fit me anymore,” he said.

  Just like Dinah, Tempest looked momentarily wistful. “He would have liked to know that it was being put to good use. And he would have liked you as well.” At this, Tempest quirked a grin. “Possibly a little too much,” she said with a wink.

  Ty didn’t know what to say to that. Fortunately, he didn’t have to say anything. The blonde superhero had already moved on. “We have a few minutes before we need to leave. Do you have everything you need?”

  “Ah, it depends. What am I likely to need?”

  “Well, we’re going to meet Rubio Vecoli, current head of the New Lincoln faction of the Vecoli family crime syndicate. They are pretty much the most vile, loathsome crime family in the city. If there’s a new drug or violent scam going on, it’s even odds that the Vecoli family is behind it. They have money, guns, and muscle. But for all that, they also have a peculiar honor. Rubio once said that if you are his guest, no harm will come to you. At least until you leave his company. He is said to despise those of his competitors who act with less integrity.”

  “So, he’s an honorable bad guy?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far, exactly. But he follows his own set of rules. He won’t try anything to hurt us. Probably.” Tempest smiled. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be armed.”

  Ty got the message. “I’ll grab my blaster,” he said. Then he had another thought. “Will Dinah be okay here by herself?”

  Tempest nodded. “She doesn’t expect your friend Lilith to return any time soon, and your shield should be protection enough against anything else. And anyway, she still has the blaster you gave her.”

  It was enough. “I’ll meet you back here.”

  He turned to go, but Tempest reached out and stopped him. “Sounds like you two had fun last night, huh?” she said, grinning broadly.

  Ty knew it would take some time to get used to Tempest and Dinah’s openness around their intimate activities. For the time being, he couldn’t help but be surprised by it all. Yet he recovered swiftly.

  “It would have been better if you’d been with us,” he managed, and Tempest laughed.

  “Of course it would have,” she said, grinning broadly. “And good answer. Now go. Get your blaster, and let’s get this over with.”

  <<<>>>

  New Lincoln was a large, sprawling city. Tempest didn’t fly at her fastest, but she wasn’t taking her time, either. Even so, they were in the air for more than twenty minutes, plenty of time for Ty to be lulled into enjoying the sensation once again.

  There was little conversation on the way, but the silence was comfortable. He sensed that Tempest was as happy to simply be with him as he was to be with her. Once again, Ty imagined them just flying off toward the horizon and not coming back. But he knew it could never be. He could leave his old life behind without any qualms. To him, his apartment was just somewhere he lived, and his job was no longer an issue.

  But he wouldn’t choose to leave Dinah behind. Even more than that, he was starting to think of himself as part of the team
. He may not yet have the same level of abilities as Tempest, but he was doing his best, and with every success, his sense of responsibility grew as well.

  His dream of the world protected by a network of superheroes was a long way away, but he was ever more determined to do his part.

  He was starting to accept his fantasies of getting away from at all as a remnant of his old life more than a reflection of his current reality. He was even looking forward to this meeting with the crime family boss.

  As was usual for Tempest, they touched down in an in a disused alley, away from the prying eyes of the general public. Tempest held onto Ty for a few moments so that he could be sure of his balance. Then they walked the last couple of hundred paces to Rubio’s Bistro, the restaurant owned and run by the crime boss.

  “Should I turn on my shield?” Ty asked.

  Tempest thought about it. “Maybe not. The glow will attract undue attention. You can activate it quickly at need, correct?”

  Ty nodded.

  “Then let’s do this,” Tempest said.

  <<<>>>

  The inside of Rubio’s Bistro reminded Ty of the Concubine Club, except that the Bistro’s focus was food. Yet, just like with the Club, the bar itself took center stage. It was a large, oval affair, finished in dark wood and surrounded by tables on all sides. The place was busy and filled with the hubbub of conversation, and somehow, despite the size of the main room, it contrived to feel cozy.

  To Ty, it felt like a comfortable, ordinary restaurant, and it was apparently quite popular. Most of the clientele appeared to be regular people, unassociated with the crime family’s trade. They mostly wore business suits and had either popped in for lunch or used the Bistro as a handy place for a meeting.

  Yet there was an undercurrent of danger as well. The Concubine Club employed Badger and a few others to keep the peace. Rubio’s Bistro hadn’t posted any security personnel outside, but there were two just inside the door, standing there like bookends, watching everything within.

  They were large men, not in Bain’s league but still several inches taller than Ty and at least twice as heavy. There was enough similarity to their features that Ty guessed they were related. Dark, curly hair, thick necks, and heavy jaws. Perhaps they weren’t brothers, exactly, but maybe cousins, all dressed in expensive, dark suits.

  As he and Tempest walked between them, the one on the left spoke into a communication device woven into his suit.

  Ty was tempted to turn his shield on then and there. He felt unaccountably anxious, and the way the security personnel looked them up and down didn’t help.

  “Now what?” he said murmured to Tempest. At the same time, he noted that other security personnel were positioned at intervals around the dining area. For a restaurant, during at lunchtime, Ty felt it was unusual.

  “There’s a sign telling us to wait to be seated,” Tempest replied, completely at ease. “So we wait.”

  They didn’t need to wait long. A serving person, a young, dark haired man who had the look of a student working part time appeared within seconds. “Table for two?” he asked.

  Tempest took the lead. “No. We have a meeting with Rubio Vecoli,” she said.

  The server didn’t bat an eyelid. “You would be Tempest?” he asked. He flicked a glance at Ty, but said nothing.

  “Yes, and this is my associate, Ty,” Tempest replied.

  The server nodded. “You are expected. Rubio is in his private booth at the back. This way.” With that, he turned and led them between the restaurant tables.

  28: Crime Lord

  Even though he’d called it a “booth,” the server led them to a door at the back of the restaurant.

  Just like at the main entrance, there were two men standing guard, one on each side of the door. They were like twin walls of muscle, and their very size and presence was enough to be intimidating. Either one of them could have picked Ty up and broken him in two.

  Compared to them, Tempest appeared tiny, a ballerina surrounded by ogres, and Ty found himself smiling at the knowledge that even so, she was by far the strongest person in the entire place.

  Unlike those at the main entrance, these two guards didn’t simply stand and watch. Instead, they took a more active role.

  The server gave both guards a friendly nod. “Mr Vecoli’s guests have arrived,” he said. “Tempest and her associate, Ty.”

  The brute on the left replied. “Thank you. We will take it from here,” he said, and the server went back to his regular duties.

  The brute on the right looked at Tempest and Ty with a blank expression that nevertheless conveyed a formidability that even the mercenaries hadn’t been able to match.

  “Normally,” he began, his voice a low rumble, “We would search any guests invited into Mr Vecoli’s booth,” he said. “However, given that it is you, Mr Vecoli wishes it to be known that, as a courtesy, we will not do so. But please bear in mind that we will be within arm’s reach at all times, and that we are armed.”

  Ty didn’t know how to respond to this. He immediately understood that it might not have been courtesy so much that led to this apparent break in procedure. Rubio Vecoli must have known that Tempest needed no weapons. She was a weapon. So to search her would have been no more than a waste of time.

  Yet Tempest responded as if she was flattered. “Thank you,” she said, as charming as a movie star on a good day. “Rubio’s courtesy is much appreciated.”

  As if that was a signal, the brute on the right nodded and stood aside, sliding the door open at the same time.

  Ty saw then that it was a booth after all. The door had revealed a horseshoe-shaped, cushioned bench around a long table. There were currently half a dozen people seated there, men and women both, dressed in expensive suits and evening gowns despite it being only about noon. They mostly had drinks in front of them, but the only food was a selection of different breads in baskets scattered about the table.

  The brute on the left stepped in and spoke.

  “Sir, your guests have arrived,” he said.

  At this, the man at the head of the table broke off his conversation with the richly dressed woman on the right. On any given day, that woman would have been the most stunning creature in the entire restaurant. She was dark-haired and shapely, a ten on the scale that every man carries around in his head. Yet with Tempest there, on this day, she would have managed only an eight.

  Rubio Vecoli was at least as big as his bodyguards. He shared the same general facial characteristics as them as well, wore a neat beard, and was starting to go gray at his temples. The man also wore a cybernetic implant on the side of his skull, behind and above his left ear.

  Even before he said a word, Ty could see the fire of intelligence in his eyes.

  “Aha! I have been waiting!” he said in his rich, baritone voice. “Tempest Flaire, I have admired you for some time. It is a genuine pleasure that we should meet. And your companion, of course. Please forgive me, I would shake your hand, but am currently surrounded by this rabble of family members.”

  Ty detected a slight accent in the man’s voice, and was surprised by how cultured and urbane he appeared. In his mind, a crime lord should have been no more than a thug. It was difficult to reconcile what he saw in front of him with the stories Dinah and Tempest had told.

  “Speaking of which,” the man said as he looked left and right. “If you all could give us some privacy?”

  A few of his existing guests started to move, but not quickly enough for Rubio.

  “Now would be good,” he said. “Come along, chop chop. Leave us!” The crime lord’s tone was light, but Ty distinctly heard the authority within it. Nor was he the only one. With polite murmurs expressing their enduring respect, the crime lord’s guests quickly departed.

  “Not you, my lovely,” he said to the woman he’d been speaking to. “It seems that Tempest has brought a companion. I would not be outnumbered. So please, stay.”

  The attractive woman, who was wearing a
red dress that draped in all the right places, giggled in a vacuous way that Ty immediately found unappealing.

  “Come, come,” The crime lord said, gesturing at one side of the bench. “Take a seat. My lovely, perhaps you could shuffle along so that we can face one another across the table. Oh, and as you are getting yourselves settled, what would you like to drink?”

  The vacuous woman did as Rubio asked, and very quickly the four of them had arranged themselves as comfortably as possible. Ty sat opposite the woman on the outside, with Tempest and Rubio facing each other further in.

  “I’ll have a daiquiri, if it’s not too much trouble,” Tempest said, and Ty, whose budget rarely stretched to ordering drinks in a bar or restaurant, ordered a Scotch.

  Rubio touched the cybernetic implant at his left ear. “Marco, a daiquiri and a Scotch for my guests, if you will. And a Cabernet for me and Julia, here.” That done, he regarded Ty and Tempest closely.

  “Now,” he said. “I doubt you’ve come all this way to waste time on pleasantries that neither of us will truly mean. So, to business. I have to admit, I was surprised to receive your communication. Yet it is also gratifying to know that your attention is not focused solely toward me and my little enterprises. And as it happens, I might have the information you require.”

  Tempest nodded. “That’s why we’re here,” she said. “Tell us what you know.”

  But the surprisingly urbane crime lord wouldn’t be rushed. He stared at them in silence for some seconds. It was as if they represented a problem that he wasn’t quite sure how to solve. He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  “Yes,” he said. “Of course. But here’s the thing. Over the past little while, the Vecoli family interests have been taking a bit of a battering. We can deal with competitors. Law enforcement is just a cost of doing business. That is the nature of things, and it will never change. But there is one thing that is somewhat annoying. It’s unpredictable and costly, and I would like it to stop. Can you guess what that one thing might be?” Rubio asked, his expression creased into a genuine grin.