Carlotta and the Krius Scepter (Carlotta Series Book 1) (5 page)

8.
  
Discoveries

I advanced on Brian. This stupid boy was going to discover that insulting me was never a wise option. He didn’t look like he was capable of defending himself. The silver must have sapped most of his strength because he slumped lower in his chair. I felt a wave of contempt run through me. He wasn’t even going to put up a fight. It wasn’t surprising that I relaxed my guard over those last couple of steps.

Brian’s hands came up in front of me and locked over the back of my neck. I could have broken away easily except for the fact that he was wearing those silver cuffs and that meant the chain was pressing against my neck.

Indescribable pain shot through my neck and ran down to spark on my toes. I shuddered, unable to control my limbs and I’ll swear I smelled my flesh beginning to smoke. Summoning up my reserves I moved my hands towards his vulnerable crotch. If I was going to die, I thought we should go together.

“Truce?” Brian pushed me away and I fell to the floor. I rubbed my neck as the pain faded and my strength returned.

“Truce,” I agreed. I could take him easily now I knew about his sneakiness, and that was good enough for me. I made a point of jumping to my feet as though the silver hadn’t really hurt me. I swayed dangerously and tried to cover it up as grandstanding. I went to his bed and sat facing him, legs spread.

“How do you live with them?” I asked, looking pointedly at his wrists.

He shrugged. “I don’t have a choice.”

That made sense, but I couldn’t imagine how he endured the pain.

“Who are you?” I asked and before you know it, he was telling me some sob story about growing up on the west side and always having to hide his abilities. Some of what he told me didn’t ring true.

“Sunlight and moonlight makes you stronger?”

Brian gave me one of those looks he seemed to specialize in. The one that indicated he thought I was some kind of moron.

“Don’t you know? Aren’t you one of
us
?”

So I told the kid about waking up in the hotel room with no memories and a note written in my own hand to call a private dick.

“No one’s called Rex King,” he pointed out and I gave him brownie points for knowing how stupid the name was.

“No one, except the actual Rex King.”

He liked that, smiling through red eyes, and it occurred to me he might be quite pretty with the silver removed from his wrists and his eyes back to their normal color.

“How did they catch you?” I asked, mainly to take my mind off the thought of how he might look naked. It was a nice thought, though I probably exaggerated a few items.

He then told me some dumb-assed story about saving a kid at a baseball game. How he’d made it to seventeen going around revealing who he was like that defeated me. And he thought
I
was a moron?

Then he got onto meeting
The Don
and how
the Hawks
were stopping
The Don
from pulling off some crime. Where was Bogart when you needed him? I needed Sam Spade and what I got was a dumb kid and Rex King.

“Who are the Hawks?”

Brian shrugged. “He didn’t call them that at first. He said it the second time we talked, after I tried to escape. They’re the people he thinks I belong to. You too I suppose.”

“Tell me about this pathetic escape that got you into those cuffs. What did you do, knock over a guard?”

He winced. “I killed two, maybe three of them. I didn’t mean too but I’ve never hit anybody like that before. You know, when I was desperate. I think I hit them too hard.”

It was obvious the thought distressed him, but I needed to know everything he knew. I moved closer to him until I was nearly off the bed and put a hand on his knee, ready to pull it back instantly if he brought those silver bracelets closer. “It’s okay, kid. You can tell me all about it.”

“I waited until midnight and broke the room door down. They were different then, they’ve put in stronger ones since. I went to the elevator and pried the doors open. The elevator was at the bottom so the shaft was clear. It looked like a long way down, but I’m cool with heights. I climbed down the shaft, well, jumped mainly. Took me a couple of minutes to get all the way to the bottom. I should have left using the doors above the elevator, but I didn’t realize it at the time. I thought I’d have to go down a floor to get out if I did that, so I pulled open the service hatch and dropped into the elevator.”

“Straight into the hands of
The Don
’s waiting goons,” I completed for him.

“The elevator was empty, but they must have had a camera in it because an alarm went off. I pressed the door open button and there were three of them waiting. I took them out.”

“Sure you did.” Like this weed of a kid took out three of
The Dons
goons.

“I hit one of them and his forehead caved in. Collapsed like I’d put my fist through a cake. I was so shocked I almost gave up. It was awful and my hand dripped with grey and red mush. Then I thought about how worried Mom must be and I ran at the other two. I hit one of them in the stomach and he flew across the room. The other guy pulled a gun and I grabbed his hand and…” He stopped.

This was pretty exciting stuff and now he was holding out on me. I moved back onto the bed and closed my legs so he wouldn’t see how excited. “And…?”

“I twisted his wrist and broke it so it dangled. The guy screamed, which frightened me because I thought someone might hear him. I jumped into the air and punched him on the neck. He fell to the floor and then I saw what I’d done.”

Jesus, was the kid going to keep me on the edge every time he stopped speaking? I gave him a severe questioning look.

“He landed face down, but his head bounced on the floor and flipped over, he stared at me with these big dead eyes.”

I giggled as a pulse of pleasure ran through me. That was a good story. Brian frowned at me disapprovingly. This kid sure needed to get over himself and get with the program.

“How did you get caught?” I prompted.

“The only way out I knew was back through the pool room. They dropped a silver net over me and put the cuffs on while I writhed about on the floor. That was when
The Don
told me about the Hawks.”

The silence lasted thirty seconds before I could stand it no longer.

“Well.”

“He said they’d been in touch and ordered him to let me go. He used some crude language to describe what he thought about that. Said three generations of DiMaggio’s had had run-ins with them and that was how he knew about silver and keeping me out of sunlight.”

“Why are they called
The Hawks
?” That didn’t sound right to me. I was sure I’d recognize the name of my people when I heard it.

“He waved some envelope at me, practically rubbed my nose in it. There was a picture of a hawk embossed in red wax on it.”

“That’s a hawk, right?”

“Sure, I’ve seen them in the zoo and in movies.”

I switched on my photographic memory and recalled my envelope. Though the seal only showed the bird’s head and shoulders I saw the rest of the bird clearly in my mind. There was something special about this type of bird and I wondered why I hadn’t felt it before. I could imagine being that bird, swooping over canyons and forest. It felt good to fly.

Brian stared at me in a predatory way. I sat back, crossed my legs and looked as prim and proper as I could.

“You were sent here to rescue me?”

“I was sent here in exchange for you,” I corrected. “Only
The Don
had other ideas.”

“Your people must be smart though? I mean they can’t all be as stu…”

I drew in a sharp breath. I was going to take this kid over my knee and give him the spanking of his life if he kept this up. I crossed my legs a little tighter as that thought brought unexpected tingles in my groin.

“I mean, they must have expected…”

Now that was an interesting thought. But why would they want the two of us held captive? I was still considering the possibilities when the kid’s next words caught me by surprise.

“We must breed among ourselves, mustn’t we?”

How dare he proposition me? Who did he think he was? Indignation ran through me.

“I was alive for ten thousands years before your grandparents were conceived and you think I’d…”

He stared at me. I stopped talking because I couldn’t believe what I’d just said either. My face grew red as he kept his eyes fixed on me. I tried to think of something to say, but my traitorous mind had given up and left me to face the consequences of its actions.

“What I meant to say was…”

He lifted an eyebrow. How dare he lift an eyebrow? Who did he think he was to question my word? Why I… Again my mind walked away, leaving me stewing in the juices it created.

I heard a sound, light as a whisper at this distance, but infinitely welcome at that particular moment.

“The elevator’s coming. I need to lock myself back in my room. I’ll come and talk to you later.”

I ran to his door and fumbled trying to find the key in my pocket. He never said a word, just stared at me as though I had escaped from the local lunatic asylum. I closed his door and quickly locked it behind me. The elevator doors were opening. I ran to my room; I think I may have come close to flying I ran so fast. I closed the door, locking it behind me.

Breathing heavily with my back against the door I let my mind wander over everything the boy had told me. My people had sent me to rescue him. My memory loss and lack of strength must be part of their plan, so
The Don
would underestimate me and not put me in silver cuffs.

That was all very well, but surely they must have wanted me to get my memories back by now. Something had gone wrong. It was clear I wasn’t a vampire, though I had certainly been one a few hours ago. I must be something else entirely. The trouble was, I had no idea what.

“Open the door.”

The voice was Vinnie’s and I didn’t think the instruction was meant for me. I ran to my bed and hid the key under the mattress. That was about as original as hiding it under a flowerpot, but I was in a hurry and besides, there were no flowerpots conveniently to hand.

9.
  
Indentured

I sat on my bed trying to look as innocent as I could. Vinnie came in with his gun held two-handed at arm’s length, pointing straight between my eyes. Another man slipped into the room behind him.

“Search her, Mario.”

Mario looked uncomfortable as I stood up and assumed the position languidly, bending over so I could put my hands on the mattress. “I hope you’ve warmed your hands,” I said as he swiftly and expertly checked me over. Under other circumstances I might have enjoyed it.

“It ain’t on her, Vinnie. Unless she’s put it in somewhere I can’t reach.”

I opened my mouth wide to show it was empty and then stuck my tongue out at Vinnie. It wasn’t a particularly wise move as Vinnie’s hands were shaking and he could have pulled the trigger by accident; but if I can’t get some laughs along the way, what’s the point in living?

“Search the room,” Vinnie demanded and I casually sat on the bed, sitting on the object of Vinnie’s desires, which was under the mattress on that very same spot.

Mario searched surfaces and opened drawers to no avail while Vinnie fumed. I couldn’t help noticing that he was shifting his weight from one leg to the other as if in discomfort. I decided that conversation was needed to distract Mario from searching the bed.

“Vinnie and I had a ball up here last night. Well, to tell you the truth I had two of them and Vinnie’s barely got any left.”

Mario didn’t quite suppress a snigger and for a moment Vinnie shifted his aim to Mario. I could have taken him then. Snatched the gun from him and killed him with a single blow to the neck. Vermin like him should be disposed of quickly and efficiently. I don’t know why I didn’t, but the moment was gone as quickly as it came and Vinnie’s gun pointed at me again, albeit a little shakily.

“Where is…”

“Vinnie,” Mike’s voice at the door nearly caused him to pull the trigger. I was already on the floor trying to avoid the bullet. I looked up into Mike’s face.

Mike noticed my position and the bastard grinned.

“The boss said we were to bring them straight down, not play hunt the cherry with them.”

“My key…”

“Is lost kid, get used to it.
The Don
wants us in the den with the prisoners and I don’t remember him mentionin’ that we should stop to find your key. You want I should tell him how it came to be missin’?”

Vinnie snarled and motioned me to go to the door.

That was when I noticed Brian, he was being held on his feet by some other goon I’d never met. I wondered if
The Don
bought them in job lots. Maybe there was a training school that turned out dead-eyed guys in smart Italian suits.
America
is one of those countries that have a supplier ready to step in for every need. A mob school seemed likely; after all, McDonald’s has its own university.

Mario helped me to my feet. A gun barrel pressed into my back reminded me that the days of chivalry were long dead, and I was hurried out of the room.

“How you doing, kid?” I asked Brian in the elevator. Not well, if the paleness of his skin was anything to go by. He didn’t answer, just gave me a look. If we’re ever going to be friends he’s going to have to stop it with those looks. A girl has her pride.

Surprise, surprise, we ended up in the Library/Card/Pool room that was apparently referred to by the holstered staff as the den.
The Don
had deserted the card table for a sofa near the bar. A coffee table in front of him held an enormous ash tray filled with half a dozen cigar stubs. The table sported a couple of small white boxes, about cigarette packet size, with thin plastic strips extruding eight inches or so out of them. The white boxes had a USB socket and an LCD display. I had a bad feeling about those boxes from the moment I saw them.

Brian and I ended up a few feet in front of
The Don
on the far side of his coffee table. I followed the flick of
The Don’s
eyes to see a man holding what looked like a remote control. When I returned my gaze to
The Don,
he grinned at me.

“Just in case, girly. If you or your boyfriend so much as cough out of turn, you find out what being covered in silver feels like.”

That was a feeling I was determined to avoid if I could. I scowled at
The Don
and his grin got wider.

“I expect the boy told you some of it. A VIP asked a favor. Doin’ that favor would make me very powerful among my peers. Then your mob, the Hawks, they interfere in
my
business in
my
town. I’d hired the best specialists in these
United States
to pull off a little inconsequential heist and what happens?”

It was a rhetorical question and
The Don
was going to tell me exactly what had happened whether I wanted to know or not. However, now it was clear he knew Brian and I had talked; the only question in my mind was ‘had they seen me change into a vampire?’ I wondered if Mike would have given me a key this morning if I hadn’t already got one from Vinnie. I hate being played for a fool.
The Don
continued, apparently unaware of the thoughts racing through my head.

“The morning after the night of the heist, this local funeral parlor delivers five coffins. Here, to the den. Said they got a call to make a pickup from a church. We open them up and what do we find? My team of specialists; all gagged and bound so they can’t make a noise. The Hawks, they put lights in the coffins so those guys would know exactly where they were, but wouldn’t know whether they were about to be cremated or buried. Believe me, those coffins stank when we opened them.”

I sniggered and
The Don
frowned. Well, it was funny. The sort of thing I’d do if I got the chance.

“Naturally these guys don’t want to try the heist again. Nuthin’ I can say or do will persuade them, and you two don’t know it yet, but I can be very persuasive. The Hawks left me a note, one of their letters with their fancy wax seal. It tells me the Museum is out of bounds and I should stay away. So am I goin’ to tell this VIP that Carlo DiMaggio can’t get him the trinket he wants? That I can’t rob the museum in the middle of my own territory?”

Another rhetorical question. So
The Don
was ticked off at the Hawks. What did that have to do with me?

“Now this VIP, he phones me this morning and he says
‘Carlo, I heard you had some trouble. I need the box by tomorrow night. Do you want me to send in some of my boys to take care of it for you?
’ Have you any idea what that makes me look like?”

Even though it was yet another rhetorical question, I was bored and decided to give him an answer.

“The prize schmuck of the western world?”

“Leave her!”
The Don
said quickly.

I felt a shadow on the side of my face and turned to see the handle of a gun inches from my cheek. Looks like
The Don
just saved me from a beating.

“Yeah, that too. So I says to the VIP: Nah, everything’s fine. I got me the best two museum robbers in the world up in my penthouse suite right now…”

The Don’s
voice changed to a snarl.

“
Put the collars on them.
”

The goon behind me picked up a box from the table and the next thing I know the plastic strip has gone around my throat and I feel it being pushed through the box behind me. Somehow he locks it into place. The guy pulls it tight enough to be uncomfortable, but I can still breathe okay. The box is held against the back of my neck and it feels cold as ice.

I turn my head and see that they’ve fitted the other box to Brian’s neck.

“Seems my team of specialists warned all their colleagues to stay away, so I got no choice but to use you two.”

“Why the fancy necklaces?” I asked, though I had a sinking feeling that I already knew the answer.

“Shaped explosive charge, the army uses those little strips to blow holes through walls. Before you get any ideas, the bombs will go off if you try to cut the strips. The only way to remove them is if you got the USB key. There’s only one of them.”

The Don
held up a tiny USB dongle on a chain. It was barely bigger than his fingernail. He put it in his pocket and took out a remote control.

“You get too far from this remote for more than an hour, boom. Someone forgets to put in the right four digit code in it every two hours, boom. You try and put in the wrong code, boom. The code changes every two hours. Only I know the codes. You get the picture?”

“You want us to rob a museum for you? Brian can barely stand.”

“You understand what I’ve been sayin’?”
The Don
asked Brian. He nodded and
The Don
gave a signal to the man holding him. Brian’s cuffs were removed. It didn’t make much difference; he still looked as though he was on his last legs.

“There’s a swimming pool and sun-deck up on the roof. You guys get stronger in sunlight and I’m sending you there to build your strength. Tonight, I’ll tell you about the heist and what you got to do. Try anything on the roof and the girl get’s her head blown off. Doesn’t matter which one of you starts it, it’s the girl who loses her head. Capiche?”

“We rob your museum and steal whatever you want, you got no further use for us, boom,” I said cynically. I wish I could have used sarcasm as well, but the way I speak it’s either one or the other.

The Don
laughed. “You got a choice though, boom now or boom later. Watcha gonna do?”

I sighed. He had us and there was nothing we could do about it. I hate it when that happens.