An Imperceptible Ruse Indeed (The Gods' Executioner Series) (5 page)

Whatever he’s planning will have to wait
, I guess; it’s not like he’ll be able to get the jump on me anyway. Servers bring dinner out and lay two covered silver plates down in front of me. I lift off one cover and see that Alice is having homemade macaroni and cheese that has some sort of crumb garnish on top of it. I lift the other cover and see a ceramic dog food dish that has been embroidered with the words ‘Good Human,’ with a hamburger and fries in it.

“This is cute! Can I keep the bowl when I’m done?” I ask Demi
, taking satisfaction in the fall of Pavithra’s face out of the corner of my eye.

“Um, sure…” Demi replies while staring at the bowl in curiosity
, her face clearly conveying that she isn’t sure what’s going on.

I take a bite of the hamburger and find it to be quite delectable. Alice sniffs a few times before turning around to look at the mac and cheese.

“Do you want some dinner?” I ask Alice and she nods.

I pick up a spoon, scoop it into Alice’s dinner, and bring it to her face. She quickly moves her head forward and bites down on the spoon in a very bird-like motion.

“Mmm!” Alice exclaims and I bring another spoonful to her.

She repeats the same motion before noticing that people are watching her and
, becoming shy again, turns back to hide her face in my shoulder while she chews. I come up with a solution to this problem and quickly eat my hamburger.

“Do you want to go back to the room?” I ask Alice and she nods against my shoulder.

“Okay. I’m going to take Alice’s dinner with us; is that alright, Lady Demi?” I inquire.

“Of course. I’ll have a servant come by and pick up the dishes later on.” Demi replies.

“Thank you.” I respond.

I
stand up from the table, holding onto Alice with my left arm while balancing the plate on my right. I carry both up to the room, set Alice on the bed, and proceed to feed her.

“By the way, and I’m sorry I wasn’t able to say this earlier, but I love you, sweetie.” I tell Alice
as I set the plate on the desk.

“I love you too, D
addy—oops, I mean Uncle Cole!” Alice corrects herself, but the damage has already been done. I smile at her and embrace her so I don’t give anything away.

I’ll protect this one. Loki isn’t taking this one away from me. No one is taking this one away while I’m around
. There’s a knock at the door so I go over to answer it.

“Hello. I’ve been ordered to retrieve your dishes and ask if you would like to go swimming. The embassy has access to a private beach and the water stays at a nice
twenty-five degrees year round.” A maid says. Twenty-five, divided by five and then times nine equals forty-five, and then you add thirty-two to get a water temperature of seventy-seven degrees Fahrenheit.

“
That sounds nice. Do you want to go play in the ocean, Alice?” I ask as I grab the dishes and hand them to the maid.

“Yeah!” Alice exclaims.

“Alright, did you bring a swim suit?” I inquire.

“I don’t know.”
Alice replies. I walk over and open up Alice’s bag, finding a red, one-piece, swim suit.

“Looks like we’re good to go!” I exclaim while holding up her swim suit.

“Yay!” Alice says excitedly.

“I’ll
return the dishes to the kitchen while you get dressed.” The maid says and closes the door.

I help Alice into her swim suit and pick her up.
I consider telling her to leave Dynamite here, but that may make her change her mind about going so I don’t say anything. We exit the room to find the maid waiting for us. Alice hides her face and the maid escorts us down the stairs and out the rear door of the embassy. Alice let’s out an excited gasp when she sees the ocean as we are led down to the sandy beach. The maid heads over to a four-stall cabana with a covered area that holds several loungers and a picnic table. Once there, the maid opens a cupboard, showing us where the towels are before heading back to the house.

“
Dynamite is going to have to wait on the beach.” I tell Alice and she looks concerned for a moment.

“
Okay… Are you going to come in with me, Uncle Cole?” Alice asks as she sets her rabbit on the bench of the picnic table.

“Of course! Just giv
e me a second.” I tell her and strip down to my boxers, leaving my boots, jeans, shirt, bandage, jacket, and holster pouch on the table after covering the pouch with my jacket.

Alice run
s ahead of me towards the water as the sound of the waves relaxes me. The moonlight offers a good deal of visibility, but I engage my helmet so that I can see everything clearly.

“This is so cool, Uncle Cole!” Alice shouts as she jumps in the small waves
.

“Having fun?” I ask.

“Yeah!” Alice exclaims as I hear the whir of motors… at night… the whir of a dozen boat propellers isn’t that weird for it being 10pm, right…? Shit, this isn’t going to be good.

“Alice, get out of the water.” I tell her with a stern tone.

“What? Why?” Alice asks, sounding concerned that she might’ve done something wrong.

“I need you to not ask questions right now, sweetie. Please, just get out of the water, go back to the
huts, and hide in one of the stalls until I come and get you, okay?” I say gently, but urgently.

Alice trots out of the water and makes her way towards the cabana with a glance back as the boats get closer. My arm and leg flush black as I focus on moving the ocean’s currents about
one hundred yards from my position; I’m really glad that I decided to keep Neptune’s control over water. The water starts to churn as a whirlpool forms while the twelve boats continue their fast approach. I see that they are small, tactical, rubber dinghies that each hold five bronze-outlined vampire auras. I knew Loki had some hand in all of this! Now he’s trying to take Alice from me, just like Addie…

(Calm down or entering a Void state will be unavoidable)

“Thanks, Airi.” I reply as the water churns faster with my anger until it encompasses the width of the group of dinghies. The vampires in the boats start taking shots at me, as I expected them to, but become panicked when they accelerate straight into the whirlpool that they can’t see until it’s too late. The torrent of water smashes the boats full of vampires against the ocean floor until there’s nothing left and I let the whirlpool fade. I return to the cabana and hear Alice quietly crying in one of the stalls.

“Don’t be scared,
Dynamite… Uncle Cole will keep us safe.” Alice confidently whispers with her crying distorting her voice.

“It’s alright now, Alice. I’ve taken care of everything.” I softly tell her as I take a knee
. Alice peeks her head around the curtain of the changing stall to look at me.

“Uncle Cole!” Alice wails as she runs out
with Dynamite in hand and grabs onto me. I hold onto her until she calms down.

“Let’s head back to the house.” I whisper
to her and she nods.

I stand up
and get completely dressed before lifting Alice up, supporting her with my right arm as we head back to the house.

“COLE! Are you and Alice alright? We heard gunfire!” Reyna
urgently asks as I walk in the back door.

“Yeah, we’re both fine and the assault has been quelled.” I reply.

“What happened?” Lady Demi inquires.

“A group of sixty enhanced vampires was trying to assault the embassy by sea. I created a giant whirlpool and took care of them. Now, I need to see the gentleman I got into the argument with at dinner.” I report.

“A whirlpool? How did you manage that?” Demi questions.

“Magic!
Anyway, time is crucial at the moment so I need to see that man.” I reply.

“Pavithra, take Cole to Ravindu’s room.” Demi orders.

“Yes, Lady Demi.” Pavithra replies and walks out of the room as I hand Alice to Reyna.

I follow Pavithra upstairs and down the left hallway. She stops in front of a door and knocks, but there is no reply
. Pavithra opens the door and we find it to be empty with indications that Ravindu left in a hurry.

“Shit, he bolted!” I exclaim.

“The gate guards might’ve seen something.” Pavithra says and takes off down the stairs.

I ditch the ‘human act’ and catch up to her as she runs out the front door. We head across the lawn and Pavithra questions the guards in a language that sounds European.

“Ravindu left about two minutes ago; we just missed him.” Pavithra reports.

Damn… What now?

(He will still be around; his contact was most likely staying nearby)

“Pavithra, how many hotels are in the area?” I ask.

“A dozen or so, why?” Pavithra questions.

“That’s too many… what’s the biggest one? Someplace where visiting without staying there wouldn’t arouse suspicions?” I inquire.

“Ravindu went to the Torarica Resort and Casino a few nights ago. I found a chip from the casino shortly after he returned.” One of the guards says; I was not aware they could speak English.

“How long would it take to get there by foot?” I ask as I pull out my phone.

“Walking? About thirty minutes. Running? About ten minutes. Vampire sprinting? Two minutes, but it is very conspicuous.” Pavithra replies as I find the address of the Torarica and enter it into satellite maps.

“Well, let’s hope he’s trying to be inconspicuous. Here, take these to my room; I’
ll go catch Ravindu.” I say while pulling off my jacket and pouch before handing them to her; wearing a leather jacket when it’s this fucking hot will definitely stand out and I can’t conceal my guns without it.

“You won’t be able to catch up to him before he enters the hotel.”
Pavithra responds while taking my jacket and holster.

“We’ll see about that.” I
reply with a smirk and touch my left shoulder blade.

Chapter 5: Bond… Feros Bond

[December 20th]

I port to the alleyway across from the entrance of the Torarica and scope the place out. I see quite a few people coming and going, but no one that looks like Ravindu. Did he already get here? Ten minutes pass by and I’m about to give up when I spot Ravindu stepping out of a taxi. If you think you might be pursued, getting into a taxi away from the place that you’re fleeing is a smart choice.

I walk across the street and follow him into the lobby before taking a seat as he approaches the desk. I sit in a chair that faces away from the desk and listen in.

“Welke ruimte is Damien Reynolds een verblijf in?” Ravindu asks. Fuck me, they aren’t speaking English.

“
Slechts een ogenblik,” The receptionist responds and I hear typing. “Hij is in de kamer twee nul negen.”

“Dank u.” Ravindu replies and I hear him walking away.

I’m pretty sure dank u is Dutch for thank you, but I got nothing else out of that conversation besides the name Damien Reynolds. Ravindu was most likely asking for Damien Reynolds’s room number and I know that nul is zero in quite a few languages, like French, making twee and negen the other two numbers… I’ve still got nothing so I should probably just follow him. I stand up and turn around in time to see him boarding the elevator. Shit! It’s not like I can follow him on board. If I watch for what floor the elevator stops on, I might get lucky… The elevator stops on three and I head for the stairs.

(It’s a feint)

“What?”

(Twee nul negen is two zero nine in Dutch. Damien Reynolds is in room 209 and Ravindu is trying to throw anyone off his trail by riding the elevator past the floor)

“If he was trying to throw people off of his trail, wouldn’t it make more sense to ask for the room number of a person who isn’t his contact? Anyone who knows Dutch would know where the room is.”

(Yes, but the majority of people wouldn’t have been able to hear him…
Go to the third floor and search for him; if he’s not there, then we know where he’ll be)

I enter the stairwell and sprint up to the third floor when the coast is clear. After peering through the window of the third floor stairwell
door and seeing that no one is in the hallway, I head to the second floor. I see Ravindu knocking on a door from the window in the stairwell. I wait until Ravindu enters the room before leaving the stairwell and heading down the hall.

“What happened!?” a man angrily asks from room 209; Damien, I’m guessing.

“I don’t know! I heard gunfire coming from the beach, looked out the window, saw them coming, and looked away for a second. When I looked back, they were all gone!” Ravindu exclaims.

“Shit… my superior is running the campaign in Australia;
they are not going to be happy about requesting reinforcements to take out this embassy. Dammit! This was supposed to be a simple plan! Snatch up the Duchess or the Princess and ransom the Queen into submission; now it’s all fucked up!” Damien exclaims angrily. I walk up and knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Damien asks.

“Mr. Reynolds? The front desk received a complaint about noise coming from this room, saying that it sounded like someone was being beaten. Can you open the door please? I’m required to verify your safety before I’m allowed to leave.” I reply as I unwrap the bandage from my left hand.

“You weren’t followed, right?” Damien whispers.

“No, I took precautions.” Ravindu replies.

I step closer to the door so that the peephole should only have a view of my face as my hand flushes black and the purple lightning bolt surfaces on the back of my palm. I listen as Damien walks across the room to answer the door. A change in the amount of light through the peephole
occurs.

“Well, he looks and smells human.” Damien
mutters to himself and opens the door.

I quickly bring my left hand up to his neck and zap him while continuing into the room, closing the door behind me with my foot.

“Why, hello Ravindu! What are you doing here!?” I ask as I drag Damien’s unconscious body across the room and toss him on the bed.

“So it sounds like you betrayed the azeman and were trying to take Alice from me…” I say with a malicious smile while slowly walking towards him.

“I’m not giving you shit.” Ravindu replies. I engage my helmet and start chuckling at him as horror and recognition mark his face.

“You realize who I am now, don’t you? I don’t need you to
give
me anything; I’ll simply take it.” I respond and cover his mouth with my left hand, siphoning my blood down his throat.

“Airi, can you handle this one without me?”

(Yes, Master. I’ll search for any relevant information)

Ravindu slumps in the chair as I move over and funnel some of my blood down Damien throat. Damien wakes up partway t
hrough, most likely due to his bronze aura, and I knock him out with my blood.

(Scan complete. There are no other traitors at the embassy. No other relevant information discovered)

“Thanks, Airi. Now for Damien.”

(I’m already in the process of scanning him, Mr. Treyfair)

“Way to show initiative, Airi! I see a promotion in your future! Perhaps to mistress instead of sexy secretary?”

(It sounds like I’d still be having sex with you behind your wife’s back so how would that be a
promotion?)

“Well, as my mistress I’d buy you jewelry or a car or a house or whatever is required for a man to buy his mistress to
keep her from telling his wife.”

(I would never tell your wife! I actually find the sex to be quite enjoyable, even if I am twenty years younger than you)

“Wait, so I’ve been banging a five year old this whole time? How did you even get this job?”

(I’ve always assumed that you were in your forties or fifties in this scenario, tired of your haggard wife and looking for satisfaction in my hot, nubile, young body)

“Um, sure… let’s go with that… wait, why would a twenty year old be banging a guy in his forties if not for money?”

(Because you remind me of my dad)

“…You just had to go and ruin this for me, didn’t you?”

(Scan complete. Damien seems to only know about this operation.
It seems that the whole thing was originally a stealth assault on the embassy, but then Ravindu heard about your visit and plans changed. The whole campaign seems like it might be sub-managed to prevent the leaking of information; this has Loki written all over it)

“I agree. Let’s get them back to the embassy.”

I grab Damien and drag him off the bed before I realize that I have a dilemma: I can’t port two unconscious people at the same time because I need to touch the triskele and I only have two hands.

(You realize that you don’t have to touch the triskele to port, right?)

“What? I’ve always had to touch the triskele or the Haglaz rune.”

(Those are more like keys to a car: you don’t need to touch the keys after the car is on, do you?)

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

(It wasn’t necessary information before
. You also wouldn’t have been able to port without touching the triskele when you first got it, as it provided the focus you needed)

I grab Damien and Ravindu, and focus on being in the foyer of the embassy. We appear in the foyer and I’m slightly surprised that
it worked.

“Cole, how did things go?” Jason asks as he, Reyna, Alice, Pavithra, and Demi walk into the foyer.

“Well, Ravindu is a traitor and made a plan with this guy, Damien Reynolds, to kidnap Reyna and/ or Alice to ransom Maria into submission, presumably killing the rest of us in the process. You guys should go pack because I have a report that I need to make to Maria. Lady Demi, feel free to do what you wish with these two; part of me is for keeping Damien as a prisoner of war for trading, and the other part is telling me to brutally kill them both as an example to everyone, so I leave it up to you. Oh, and from the information I got out of these two, there aren’t any other traitors at this embassy.” I inform them.

Jason, Reyna, Alice, and I head upstairs to our rooms, pack our things, and bring our bags downstairs to the foyer.

“Thank you for accommodating us, Lady Demi.” Reyna says.

“It was my pleasure, Duchess Reyna
, and I apologize for the transgressions of one of the members of this embassy.” Lady Demi replies.

“Don’t worry about it; you
didn’t have any choice in the matter.” Reyna responds as she grabs my hand after picking Alice up.

“
Goodbye.” I say and focus on the four of us being in Jason and Reyna’s house.

We appear in the house and I realize that it’s so much easier to just touch my Haglaz rune or triskele when I have a free hand.

“Alright, I’m going to make my report to Maria.” I announce.

“I want to go
see grandma…” Alice quietly mentions.

“Do
you want to come with me to visit Grandma Maria, sweetie?” I ask and Alice nods. I look to Reyna and Jason for confirmation.

“Okay… but I want her home by ten… And no drinking! And Honey, if you’re going to pu
t out, make sure to use protection.” Jason says and I stifle my laughter as Alice looks at her father with a confused expression.

Reyna
lightly smacks Jason and says, “It’s fine if you take Alice to visit my mother, Cole.”

“Alright,
we’ll be back soon.” I reply while picking up Alice and Dynamite.

I touch my Haglaz rune and port us to the front door of Maria’s
Tuscan-styled mansion in Mictlan, where I ring the doorbell.

“
Hello Cole and Princess Alice.” Babette greets.

“
Hello Babette. I have some information for Maria and Alice wants to see her grandmother.” I reply.

“I assumed that was why you a
re here. This way.” Babette says and walks into the house.

I carry Alice down the hall, following Babette as she walks past the sitting room and exits out into the central courtyard with its garden/ pool. She continues around the right
side of the patio to the rear wing of the house. Babette takes a right and knocks on the double doors that lead to the room where Cheza and I rescued Maria from an assassination attempt four years ago.

“Come in.” Maria answers to the knock and Babette opens the door. Maria is sitting at a desk that is covered in documents and has two servants assisting her.

“Grandma!” Alice exclaims and squirms as I set her down. She runs over to Maria as I follow behind her.

“Hello nieta. Did you have fun on your trip, even if it was shorter than expected?”
Maria asks.

“I got to play in the
ocean with Uncle Cole for a little while and that was fun, but I didn’t like all the people…” Alice quietly replies.

“She was a little shy.” I add.

“Why was the trip cut so short?” Maria inquires.

“
There was an attack and I discovered a traitor that was in the embassy so I took care of that. It seemed their original plan was a stealth attack by boat, but the plan changed to a kidnapping of Reyna and/ or Alice to ransom you into submitting. I wasn’t able to get much from the two guys I scanned so I left them with Lady Demi at the embassy. I was able to discern that Loki is involved in all of this; one of the guys that I scanned had a bronze aura. They only seemed to be given information that was absolutely necessary to their part of the operation so the only thing I learned, past the information about the plot I’d already thwarted, was that the traitor’s vampire contact has a superior who is running the Australian campaign.” I inform Maria.

“Hmm…
” Maria says while mulling the information over, then she looks at me and smiles.

“No.” I answer before she asks.

“I need you to go there, Cole.” Maria replies.

“No, I’m not going to Australia!” I reiterate.

“You’re the best person for the job.” Maria says.

“No one is ever get
ting me to go to Australia!” I exclaim.

“Cole, I was just reassigned. Apparently the vampire rebellion has affected Australia and the Australian United Supernatural Special Investigations and Enforcement, or AUSSIE, has requested help from The Agency so Carla is sending me and Natasha.” Cheza informs me through our connection.

My expression must be giving something away because Maria just smiles satisfactorily at me.

Damm
it…