Aspen (14 page)

She raised her hands and repeated her fire spell. The lycan’s howl of triumph became a scream of pain and terror. It reared back and flailed at the flames spreading down its chest.

Aspen helped Jynx to her feet and together they started running toward the safety of the hotel. She could almost taste the stale air of the lobby when the lycan she identified as Mal stepped in front of them. Jynx raised her pistol and aimed.

“Don’t make me, Mal. Please don’t. Come with us, we can try to cure you,” Jynx pleaded.

The lycan raked its claws along the bricks and smiled, its tongue hanging to one side.

“I think that’s a no,” Aspen said.

“Please, Mal. You’re my brother—”

The lycan pounced. Jynx’s pistol boomed and he fell backward. Aspen tried to drag Jynx forward, but she stopped to kneel beside her brother. Tears were streaming through the blood on her face and falling on his. He blinked at her and Jynx took his hand.

“I’m so sorry, Mal. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there.”

Mal shook his head. “Not your fault, Jynx. You can’t be everywhere. Dad should have seen them, should have known they were coming.”

Aspen saw the alpha and remaining pack coming. She raised a shield and knelt beside Jynx. “We have to go, J, I can’t hold them for long.”

Jynx shook her head. “I can’t leave him, Asp, he’s my baby brother.”

Aspen pulled on her arm. “He’s dying, there is nothing we can do for him! We have to get out of here!”

Jynx turned and grabbed Aspen by the shoulders. “You can! You can help him, heal him like you did Vincent!”

“Jynx, this is totally different. You shot him in the neck and chest, I have to get the bullets out and heal the wounds. I can’t.”

Jynx turned on one knee and raised her pistol so it was pointed at Aspen’s head. “You can, you just don’t want to! Save him!”

Aspen kept the shield up and stared down the black and silver barrel of Jynx’s pistol. She could smell the gunpowder and the metallic scent of the silver cartridges.

“You’re going to shoot me now, Jynxie?”

“Save him, Aspen, please!”

Aspen looked at Jynx. She could see the love and fear in Jynx’s eyes, and she wanted to make it go away. But there wasn’t time.

“I can’t, Jynx! Even if I can heal the wound, he’s still a lycan! He still answers to the alpha that’s trying to pull my head off and use it as a bowling ball. I can’t fix that!” she said.

Outside, the alpha had reached the shield. He was sniffing along the outside as if hunting for a way through. He turned his head and Aspen could see his red eyes glaring at her. He raised a finger and scraped it along the shield, making her shiver.

Tears were rolling down Jynx’s face. “You don’t know if you can, you haven’t tried!”

“I know that healing Vincent knocked me out for hours. If that shield drops, we’re both dead and Mal is back where he started. I know that saving two lives is better than throwing away three!”

Aspen shook Jynx off and stood. “I’m getting me and that woman out of here. If you’re coming, then come.”

“I will shoot you, Aspen!”

Aspen turned away. “Then shoot me, Jynx. I’m sorry, really I am. But trying to save Mal with that lycan out there, it isn’t brave, its suicide.”

Part of her expected to hear the boom of the big Colt. After all, she’d known Jynx a little more than a day. On the other hand they’d already saved each other’s lives, more than once. That sort of thing tended to grow relationships. When she didn’t hear a click, she kept walking, hoping to the Goddess that the shield held.

She reached the closet where the woman had been holed up and opened the door. The woman looked up, clearly expecting to see one of the lycans. Relief flooded through her face when she saw Aspen.

Aspen extended a hand. “Time to go.”

She helped the woman to her feet and turned to find Jynx standing nearby, weapon in hand. She wiped her nose on the back of her hand and looked at Aspen. “I said my goodbyes, let’s boogie.”

“Take her and start up the stairs,” Aspen said. “Once you’re past the door I’ll lower the shield. That thing is going to be right behind us.”

Jynx pushed the woman toward the fire door. “Where are we going?”

“Up is the best I got. We can grab the research and head out the back, there’s got to be a way to lose the lycans,” Aspen replied.

“See you up there. Don’t get dead,” Jynx said.

Aspen waited until she could hear them running up the stairs, then turned back to the lycan. The alpha tapped on the shield like it was glass and leered. He knew she couldn’t keep it up much longer.

“Yeah, I know. It’s just you and me, big guy, they’re gone.”

She took a photograph of him with her phone, then backed away as far as she could and still keep the shield in place. She then smiled sweetly at the lycan.

“My girl would say something pithy like ‘come get some’ and then shoot you in the face. But I don’t have a gun and you know as well as I do, my magik is getting tired. So how ‘bout ‘catch me if you can?’”

She lowered the shield and ran the other way as fast as her legs would carry her.

CHAPTER NINE

Jewelry Designs, The Loop, Chicago, IL 10:00 p.m.

Jewelry Designs occupied the first two floors of a corner building in the heart of Chicago. The building was made of white stones and a storefront formed of wide, arched windows. The stories above were more common and nondescript, apartments for the upper middle and lower-upper classes.

Raven parked the Bass on the street and got out. The evening had grown colder and a light mist was falling, making everything shiny and damp. The storefront was dark, but Levac seemed to know where he was going when he turned down the side street. Raven followed with her hands in her pockets. The feeling something was wrong with Aspen, that she was in trouble, kept nagging at her. She’d tried Aspen’s cell, but there was no answer.

Levac reached a door beneath a single bare bulb and knocked twice. Raven watched as a hatch in the door slid aside and eyes appeared in the gap. “Yeah?”

“I’d like to speak with Becker, please,” Levac said.

“Never heard of him,” the man replied.

The hatch slammed shut on Levac’s answer. He glanced at Raven and shrugged. “He’s the shy sort.”

He knocked again. When the hatch opened, he wedged two fingers in the gap. “Detective Levac here to see—”

The hatch slammed shut on his fingers. He howled in pain and blew on them as if they’d been burned.

“Can I try, now?” Raven asked.

Levac made an ‘after you’ gesture and stepped aside. Raven knocked politely and smiled as sweetly as a cherub. The eyes appeared once again and began with, “Ain’t no… oh. Hello, ma’am, what can I do for you?”

“Detectives Storm and Levac here to see Mr. Becker, please,” Raven said.

“Sorry, miss. Don’t no one get in to see Mr. Becker on poker night.”

The hatch slammed shut. Raven arched an eyebrow and looked at the door. It was steel, with reinforced hinges. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her monster, which was there, waiting to be let out. When she opened them again, the world had gone blue. She braced herself, wrapped one hand around the handle and pulled. With a sound like angels screaming in pain, the door tore open. She pushed it aside and stepped through into a small foyer. The owner of the eyes, a portly man with three days’ worth of beard on his chubby jowls, was sitting at a card table with a portable television and enough fast-food to kill an elephant.

He stared at them in surprise. “How did you do that?”

Raven dropped the door’s twisted handle. “I had my Wheaties today. Where is Becker?”

The guard pointed down the hallway. “Up the stairs, second door on the right. He’s playing poker, he don’t like to be disturbed when he’s playing poker.”

Raven started down the hall. “Yeah, we heard you the first time.”

Levac clapped the man on the back. “Don’t worry. She’s stronger than me, too.”

Raven looked back. “Are you coming, Rupe?”

He picked up one of the uneaten cheeseburgers. “Yep, I was consoling the poor man, he just lost his manhood.”

“You’re stealing his food, I saw you stuff that in your pocket,” Raven said.

Levac shrugged. “You never know, if this lead pans out it might be awhile before I get my next snack.”

Raven opened the stairwell door and started through. The stairs were cleaner and nicer than the foyer had been, with wide white steps, walls tiled in white porcelain and painted black trim. It reminded Raven of the better class of public restrooms. Unfortunately, it smelled a bit like one too.

“Is it just me, or have you been eating a lot more, recently?” she asked.

Levac shrugged. “Yeah, a little. Ever since the sword through my gut thing, I eat less, but more often. I’m losing a ton of weight, so it can’t be a bad thing, right?”

“Except one day your arteries are going to jam up more than the 41 at rush hour. Maybe add a few vegetables or fruit or something.”

Levac made a face. “I’ve heard of these vegetable things and I tell you, I want no part of them unless they are flattened, fried, and smothered in cheese.”

“Fine, try a veggie burger.”

The second floor rear of the building was decorated with a retro-20s feel in mind. Framed mirrors and paintings were spaced along the inside corridor while the outside consisted of windows that overlooked the street. Tasteful chandeliers were spaced along the walk and the doorways were set in stylized frames painted gold and white. A large man in a suit stood in front of the third door. He turned when Raven entered the hallway and held up a hand.

“No visitors tonight, ma’am, its poker night. Marvin shouldn’t have let you in.”

Raven held up her badge. “Detective Storm, this is Detective Levac, we’re here to see Becker.”

The guard folded his arms. “I’m sorry, detective, you’ll have to come back. No visitors.”

Raven moved closer. “This is important and will just take a few minutes of his time.”

The guard looked down his nose at Raven. “If it isn’t so important you have a warrant, you can come back tomorrow.”

He put a hand on Raven’s shoulder and tried to push her back the way she’d come.

“Here we go,” Levac muttered.

Raven grabbed the guard’s hand and squeezed until she could hear the bones rubbing on each other. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to lay hands on a woman unless she asks?”

She pulled his arm behind him and cuffed him to the railing around the window. “You stay there and think about what you’ve done.”

“Think about what he’s done?” Levac asked. “Are you his mother, now?”

Raven cocked her head. “I admit, it sounded better in my head. But he should still reconsider laying hands on any woman without permission. I’m a cop doing a public service.”

Levac rubbed the stubble on his cheek with one finger. “I think Aspen is wearing off on you. How much of her blood did you drink, anyway?”

Raven ignored him. It was getting late and her patience was wearing thin. She kicked the door open and stepped through, badge held aloft.

“Chicago police! Nobody panic or do anything stupid. No weapons, no smartass comments, I just want to ask Mr. Becker some questions.”

The room was large, much larger than a formal dining room. The walls were made of paneled wood stained dark, complete with chair rails and paintings of dogs, cats and fish playing poker. A poker table sat in the middle with eight people seated around it. A haze of cigar and cigarette smoke hung over the table, illuminated by a 19th century chandelier. Raven recognized most of the men at the table, they were a practical who’s who of the city’s scumbags. You wouldn’t find an odder bunch of characters outside a Dick Tracy comic.

A small, overweight man with pockmarked cheeks and square-rimmed glasses smoothed his thinning hair across his pate and smiled. “Detective Storm, I have read all about you. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. Please, if you will come into the back, I will assist you with your inquiries.”

His voice had a quality to it that made Aspen think of a cartoon dog.

“Of course. Excuse us, gentlemen,” she said.

Becker led the way into an adjoining office that was complete with a variety of printers, scanners, computers, green screens and other tricks of the fake ID trade. He dropped into an overstuffed chair behind the desk and folded his hands primly on the desk.

“What is it I can do for you?” he asked.

Raven looked around. “Nice equipment you have here. What’s it for?”

Becker smiled. “You know exactly what it is for, Detective Storm, and you are not here to arrest me, you want to know about a client. Who?”

Levac leaned a hip against the desk. “Just like that? What happened to honor among thieves?”

Becker spread his hands on the desk and gave a small shrug. “There is no such thing. Most of the men I accommodate would sell me up the river for a cup of coffee.”

Raven pulled Bailey’s photograph out of her jacket and tossed it on the table. “This guy and at least seven others. I want to know if there were more of their merry little band.”

Becker picked up the photo and smiled. At least, Raven assumed it was a smile. His lip curled and his jowls parted.

“Bailey. Yes, I remember him. I did complete packages for the twelve of them. They paid for top quality work,” Becker said.

“I’m sure they did. Names and photos, please,” Levac said.

“Oh, now detective, that might be too far, I have a professional reputation to think about,” Becker said.

“Eight of those twelve are dead, Mr. Becker,” Levac said. “They didn’t use your work to commit a harmless crime, they used them to buy weapons. Then they killed an innocent young woman and tried to kill us.”

“Gives us the names and faces, Becker,” Raven said.

Becker sat back. “They said they had to get out of the country! I would never be involved in murder.”

“Then give us the names,” Levac said in a conversational tone.

“But—”

Raven gripped the desk with enough force to crack the wood. “Don’t make him ask again!”

Becker pushed his chair back from the desk in surprise. He swallowed and visibly calmed himself. “Of course, no problem.”

He stood and waddled to one of the cabinets the lined the wall. He was reaching inside when Raven pushed the door closed on his hand. “Now now, Mr. Becker. Is there a weapon in there?”

Becker blinked. “Of course not! I am just getting the files, they should be right in here.”

Raven stepped back. “Take them out slowly and show us your hands.”

Becker moved with exaggerated care and raised his hand. He held four white folders with neat, almost perfect block letters on the labels. “I assure you, I am unarmed. I do not condone violence, Detective Storm.”

He placed the folders on the desk and opened them one at a time. The photos showed two men and two women dressed like the others. Levac made a note of the names and collected the photos. “I’ll get a BOLO out on these. If they’re in the city, we’ll find them.”

He stepped out of the office and looked at Raven, who motioned for him to go ahead. When he was gone, Raven closed the door and looked at Becker. “What can you tell me about them?”

Becker looked blank. “I beg your pardon?”

“Come on, Becker. You’re the kind of guy who pays attention, the guy people on Myface call ‘anal’. What can you tell me? Hotel where they are staying, car they were driving, anything.”

Becker lowered himself into his chair with a sigh. “I see. I do not know where they may be staying, but those four came to pick up their packages together. They were driving an SUV of some description. A large one.”

Raven pulled out her notebook. “What kind?”

Becker made the hand-spreading gesture again. “A big black one.”

“License plate?”

“Y-D-Y-56 something,” Becker said.

Raven cocked an eyebrow. “What about the other two numbers?”

Becker looked sheepish. “I couldn’t see the whole thing. But I can tell you, when they left they turned east toward the lake.”

Raven frowned and stared at the notebook. “What time was this?”

Becker waved an uncertain hand. “Perhaps six, maybe seven. After dinner but before poker.”

Raven moved to the window. “You were watching from here. Do any of the store’s cameras face this way?”

Becker sighed. “Of course they do, detective. But you are asking too much. If this gets out, my reputation will be ruined. I have to make a liv—”

Raven turned, a hint of her monster showing in her eyes. “I don’t give a shit about your reputation! These bastards are hunting someone I care about and I mean to stop them. Show me the video.”

Becker paled at the look in her eyes and hurried to comply. He pressed buttons on his desk and the wall rolled back to reveal a dozen monitors. He pressed another series of commands and the screens changed to show the store before closing. He pointed one chubby finger at the center monitor.

“There! You can see the four of them, they come in the front door and the blonde speaks to my receptionist. She calls me and then they come up here.”

Raven watched the screen. The tall blonde woman walked in stiletto heels like they were sneakers. She had a haughty look about her that annoyed Raven the moment she saw her. The other woman was of average height with brown hair pulled back in a multitude of small braids and the men were both so average they were almost indistinguishable from other men in the store.

“Show me the outside, where the SUV was parked.”

Becker pressed some buttons and the view changed to a camera in the window. The SUV was clearly visible and Raven recognized it as a newer Chevrolet. Becker was right, the plate wasn’t visible, but the make and model would let them narrow the search down. She turned back to Becker and tucked her notebook into her jacket.

“Thank you. I won’t trouble you further.”

She pulled a card out of her pocket and placed it on the desk. “If you think of anything else, call me.”

Becker wiped sweat from his forehead. “I will. Goodnight.”

Raven stepped into the hallway, where the guard was sitting on the floor. She looked at him and cocked her head. “Have we learned not to touch women without permission?”

“Fuck you!” he snarled.