by Wyatt Kane
Tempest returned the grin openly. “I’m sure I could,” she said. “But why don’t you tell me anyway, just to make sure were all on the same page?”
“But of course. Anything for a lady.” Yet even then, instead of replying directly, he approached the topic from a tangent. “You see, our little enterprise is on the verge of becoming more major, and taking over large parts of the New Lincoln. We have much of the infrastructure in place and are ready to go. But our plans keep getting interrupted.” He paused to give his next words additional weight.
“The interruption,” he said, “is you.”
Before Tempest could respond, the door slid open once more, and a different server walked in with their drinks. She set them down in front of the four of them and left without a word.
“Thank you,” Rubio said to her departing back.
“I can see how that would be a problem for you,” Tempest said, still smiling broadly. It was as if they were talking about something as innocuous as the weather. “Perhaps you could tell me exactly what you would like me to do about it,” she said.
Rubio’s expression hardened. His smile disappeared, and everything about him became turned into a threat.
“You can stop,” he said.
The tension in the booth had suddenly become palpable. Ty felt it clearly, he knew that Tempest felt it, and even Julia wasn’t immune. The woman in red offered a giggle and hid behind her glass of wine.
As for Ty, the very thought of Rubio trying to tell Tempest to back off rankled. It was like he was trying to buy her, like he might buy a corrupt cop, offering her something of value to turn a blind eye.
He must let it his irritation show on his face, because the next thing he knew, the full force of Rubio’s attention was directed at him. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation. The crime boss was dangerous in many different ways. Sure, Ty had his blaster and his shield, but the purpose of this meeting was to gain information. Not to cause a confrontation.
“Do you have something to say about that question, lad?” Rubio said, and any semblance of civility was gone from his tone. In its place was nothing but malice. “Be careful if you do,” he continued. “I don’t know who you are, but that you’re in Tempest’s company suggests there is more to you than there seems. Even so, remember this well. You’re in my house, drinking my Scotch. I will abide no disrespect at my table. Do you understand?”
29: The Value Of A Favor
A week ago, Ty probably would have cowered under the man’s baleful glare. His former self would have been no match for the man in any way. But when compared with Bain, Rubio Vecoli was a comparatively minor threat. A mini-boss, only slightly more dangerous than Angie the Hutt.
Ty held the man’s gaze. “Disrespect works in more than one way,” Ty said. “We are your guests. Do you so casually assume that your guests are open to being bought?”
If the tension had been palpable before, now it climbed another notch. Ty no longer felt as if he was in a comfortable restaurant. Instead, he felt as if he was in a sauna. It was like the temperature had climbed fifteen degrees within a couple of heartbeats.
Rubio continued to glare at him. Ty might have said more, but Tempest placed her hand on his arm in a way that could have meant he should not. Yet at the same time, he sensed she was proud of him.
He maintained his silence but didn’t look away.
He thought that the crime lord might erupt into rage at any moment. The man might have surged across the table to grasp Ty by the throat. Ty knew he could activate his shield fast enough to be secure, but didn’t want it to come to that. All he could do was sit there under the crime lord’s glare, growing increasingly conscious of the way Julia was trying to edge away.
The tension grew to nearly unbearable levels.
Then, all at once, the crime lord broke into a broad and unexpected grin. He threw back his head and barked a laugh. For long moments, he let it all out, leaving the other three at the table a little uncertain.
Yet the tension was broken. Ty allowed himself a quiet smile and a sip of his drink, and after a few moments, Rubio calmed himself down.
“I am impressed,” the crime lord said to both Ty and Tempest at once. “By the look of him, I thought you had brought me a rabbit,” he said. “But this rabbit has a spine!”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Tempest replied, and her answer led to another round of laughter.
After a while, with a far less dangerous atmosphere in the booth, the crime lord continued.
“In any event, he is right, and if you took offence then I do apologize. However, my comment still stands. With no insult intended, please do tell me if your companion is right. Is such an arrangement beneath your honor?” Once again, the crime lord’s tone was light, but his intent was serious.
Tempest smiled broadly. Yet she shook her head at the same time. “What you ask is impossible. Your business hurts people. It is my mission to protect them. But tell me this. Your business is extensive. Could you not focus your attention on those aspects that harm no one? The money-laundering? This restaurant?”
The big man studied first Tempest, then Ty for a moment. He pushed himself back away from the table and sat as if pondering. But then he too shook his head.
“While I don’t admit to any activities that you would call unsavory, if, hypothetically speaking, such activities did fall within my purview, then I would expect them to be among the most lucrative of my interests. Given where we are currently placed and our long-term ambitions, I could not possibly agree to that request.”
He paused for a moment, but it was apparent that he hadn’t finished. “But maybe, if you were to focus your attentions on our competitors more than the Vecoli family activities?”
All at once, Ty understood what was happening. Maybe he was naive, but he hadn’t really considered how the meeting would go. It had taken until then for Ty to understand that the information Rubio had came with a price, and the man was negotiating hard.
Ty thought it was a good thing he wasn’t leading the meeting. But Tempest was more than up to the task. With all the skills of a trained diplomat, she deflected Rubio’s efforts with ease.
As she and the crime lord spoke, Ty couldn’t help but admire the blonde superhero. She was so perfect that Ty would not have been surprised to find a film crew appear out of nowhere and to realize he’d blundered onto a set. Everything felt a little unreal, and yet for the first time in Ty’s life, everything seemed to be in focus. Even though they were facing off against one of New Lincoln’s most despicable crime bosses, there was nowhere Ty would rather have been.
Tempest countered Rubio’s request with a suggestion that if she didn’t have to watch him so closely, then she would be free to look at his competitors more.
The crime lord looked thoughtful, and latched on to the idea of a pause, suggesting that Tempest might like to go on vacation for a set length of time.
But again, Tempest declined, even when Rubio offered to pay for the vacation in its entirety, for Tempest and any companions she should want to invite.
At this, Ty couldn’t hide his interest. But Tempest just bit her lip and politely declined.
“I wish I could,” she said. “But there’s just so much to do in New Lincoln. How could I possibly leave, even if for just a short time?”
Rubio nodded agreeably. Yet when he spoke again, it became apparent that he thought they had run out of options.
“Well,” he said expansively. “It appears that we have reached an impasse. I admit to being a trifle disappointed. I have information you want, yet you are unable to offer me anything of commensurate value.” He sighed out loud. “Perhaps this meeting was ill advised,” he finished.
Despite his words, he made no move to end the meeting. Even Julia just continued to sit in her seat, occasionally sipping her wine and all but ignoring everything else.
Tempest took her cue. “What if I were to owe you a favor?” she asked.
Rubio’s eyebrow
s shot up in a signal of immediate interest. He leaned forward. “Anything?”
“Of course not,” she said with a smile. “I will not help you to hurt anyone, either by direct or indirect action, or through inaction. That part of our relationship, such as it is, will remain as it always has been. But if you need something I can offer, that is within my power, then I will do what I can.”
The man looked thoughtful. “So, if we were to find out that a competitor had an important shipment arriving, perhaps we could give that information to you?” Rubio suggested.
Tempest held the man’s eye and nodded.
“Interesting.” He said. Then, slowly, he nodded as well. “That could have considerable value. I think we might have a deal.”
Tempest sat back in her seat, her smile back in place. “So. Tell us what you know.”
Rubio took a surprisingly delicate sip of his Cabernet and set the class back on the table.
“Ahh. I do like a good red from time to time,” he said. “Even on an empty stomach, it can be surprisingly satisfying.” Then he gathered his thoughts. “Your message was vague,” he said, his tone just short of an accusation. “You asked for information regarding a mercenary army moving through the streets of New Lincoln. You asked about the man Bain, as well as a shadowy figure, perhaps known as the Master. Beyond that, I have to say, there wasn’t much meat on that particular bone.”
He paused for a moment. “And yet, perhaps there was enough.”
Rubio watched both Ty and Tempest closely as he spoke. To Ty, the man seemed to be deliberately speaking slowly, perhaps in an effort to define his control. Yet now that the man had actually started to speak, Ty was more than happy to wait, as was Tempest.
Neither of them said anything, but instead let the mobster speak.
“I have been receiving reports of a new faction in town. The mercenaries your message referred to. Now, be aware that mercenaries aren’t new. Our competitors have used such before, and so have we. But this feels different. These mercenaries do not guard shipments, nor are they hired muscle in advance of a turf war. And in fact they appear naive to the possibilities in that area.” The man paused, as if to assess the impact of his words.
“Go on,” Tempest said.
“They act as if they are permanent. As if they are working on a long term plan. They do not make trouble for its own sake, but those few who get in their way pay a heavy price.” The crime lord shifted slightly in his seat, and when he began talking again, the topic was different.
“We do not know of this Master you speak of. As for Bain, he is also new on the scene. A man like him stands out in a crowd. Six months ago, he didn’t exist in New Lincoln. But again, he does not act like an employee of a regular crime syndicate.”
He paused to sip his wine again. When he resumed, he spoke as if his words were significant. “The markers on these people have a corporate stench to them. If I were you, I would look to the mega-corporations. Shake that particular tree. See what falls out.”
With that, the man lapsed into silence.
For a moment, no one said anything. Then Tempest spoke. “That’s it?” she demanded. Ty could tell by the tone of voice that she was a long way from happy.
The gangster held her eye and shrugged his shoulders. “It’s more than you had,” he said.
“For that, you expected me to turn a blind eye to your activities? Even for a single day that price would have been too high. You have given us next to nothing!”
Rubio Vecoli didn’t appear to enjoy being spoken to like that. He clenched his jaw and his fist, and the tension in the room immediately returned. But this time, all the aggression was from Tempest.
Ty reached around his back for his blaster and held the activation of his shield on his tongue. He would be ready if Tempest needed him.
Once again, the woman in the red dress squirmed in her seat as if she wanted to be somewhere else.
“What did you expect?” Rubio said with a hint of a sneer. “Did you want a full, itemized list of their intentions?”
“A location would have been good. Even the name of someone with more insight. Anything, really. What you have given me is just empty babble, no more than we could figure out for ourselves!”
Rubio’s face grew dark with anger. Ty had the suspicion that he wouldn’t put up with being spoken to like that by anyone else. Yet this was Tempest, and Rubio knew what she could do. Should she choose, she could have turned him into a living pretzel.
“What are they up to?” Tempest demanded.
“I don’t know what they are doing,” Rubio snarled. “I just know what they are not doing.” Then, as if struck by a thought, Rubio calmed down a fraction. “There is one thing,” he said.
“What?” Tempest asked.
“A rumor. Word on the street is that there is a new lab in town. We thought it was drugs, but it isn’t. Perhaps that is related to this Bain and his Master.”
Tempest still wasn’t satisfied. “You say, ‘Perhaps.’ Well, perhaps isn’t good enough. If you expect a favor from me, then I want more.”
30: An Uplifting Experience
Rubio glared at Tempest with irritation. Yet there was doubt in his eye as well, and Ty knew that the man understood he had not yet given the full measure of information Tempest required. And a favor from Tempest was valuable.
Ty knew it, and Rubio did as well. Even Julia, who had said next to nothing, seemed to know it.
In the end, it was that value that made the difference. “What more do you need?” Rubio grated.
“A concrete location. I want to be able to find this Master. If this lab is connected, then that will be a start. But I need more than just rumor and hope.”
Rubio glared at Tempest for a few moments more. Then, with a guttural noise that was almost a snarl, he sat back from the table. “I will see what I can do,” he said.
At this, Tempest relaxed. She took a sip of her drink. “Thank you for your hospitality, and for the drink,” she said, maintaining her courtesy. “You know how to contact me. I look forward to hearing what you find out.”
The crime lord just nodded.
Ty didn’t need to be told. He knew it was time to go. He stood, and even though Tempest could have picked up a car and thrown it through the wall, he offered his hand to help her stand up.
<<<>>>
As Ty and Tempest left Rubio’s Bistro and headed toward the same alley they had touched down in, Ty found himself walking with a spring in his step, and a relieved and happy expression on his face.
He hadn’t really thought that he or Tempest were in any danger, but there were several times when he’d thought violence to be inevitable.
Tempest’s reaction was different. As they walked, the blonde superhero shuddered noticeably.
“Tempest?” Ty said. “Are you okay?”
Tempest flashed him a grin. “I’m fine. It’s just that dealing with him and his kind makes my skin crawl,” she said. “I don’t really want to owe him anything.” She made a grimace. “I’d prefer to go one-on-one with Bain than owe a man like him.”
Then she gave Ty an appraising look, just taking a moment to study his features. It appeared she liked what she saw. “You handled yourself well,” she said.
Ty grinned. “You expected otherwise?” he asked.
Tempest let out a laugh, then bit her lower lip as if contemplating something. “Do you have a little time before heading to work?” she asked him.
Ty hadn’t yet told her that Angie had fired him. Nevertheless, he did indeed plan to head to the Concubine Club. He had people to talk to. But he had no set time to be there, and the expression on Tempest’s face brought to his mind an image of the blonde superhero, naked, on a boulder in the middle of a lake.
His grin grew broader. “I do,” he said. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Tempest raised a mischievous eyebrow. “I doubt it,” she said. “But it might be within the same general ballpark. Come here. I want to f
eel something wholesome against me.”
Ty was happy to comply. As he stepped close, Tempest grabbed him and kissed him hard on the lips. Ty marveled at the strength and suppleness of her, and became instantly aroused. When Tempest broke free, she made a small noise of pleasure and seemed to melt a little. Then she grinned, and without any warning, leapt into the air, still holding Ty tightly.
In moments they were higher than the tops of the tallest nearby buildings, although the mega-corporation structures in the distance were still taller. Ty was more than happy to go along for the ride, and held on to Tempest tightly. He wondered if they were heading back to the boulder, but thought it more likely they were heading back home.
He didn’t ask. He didn’t need to know. He just enjoyed the feeling of being next to Tempest as they flew through the air.
Then, unexpectedly to Ty, they were no longer flying. Tempest had touched down, not on the ground or even on the roof of the building, but within a large satellite dish that was aimed almost straight up. Ty looked around and could see no taller buildings anywhere close. He didn’t know how high they were, but it must have been at least fifty floors.
Tempest let him go and stepped back, still grinning. “Take off your clothes,” she said.
Ty had never done it in a satellite dish before, and was more than happy to do as she said. In moments, he and Tempest were both naked. It wasn’t the boulder in the lake, but it was still something new, and the view wasn’t bad at all. It would have been better if it weren’t for the low clouds, but Ty figured that even Tempest couldn’t control things like that.
Although he might be able to do so, a small part of his brain suggested. With technology.
It was something to think about later. As for that moment, he had other things on his mind. Once again, Ty admired Tempest’s naked perfection. Her skin was paler than Dinah’s, and unmodified from the delicate pink of her nipples to the soles of her feet. The only suggestion of modification was her nails, which she had painted bright red.
Ty didn’t wait for an invitation. He knew how strong Tempest was, so he went to her and crushed her against him as hard as he could. She let out a squeal of enjoyment and squeezed him right back, but it didn’t end there.
