Shrouds of Darkness (35 page)

“Speaking of polluted ranks, what’s happening with Wyatt and the other Sheriffs that sided with Percy?”

“The two younglings have retaken their oaths and are on strict probation. I have permanently removed Wyatt from his position and assigned him administrative duties in the tower where he is essentially under house arrest. I probably should take his head, but due to his decades of service and lack of active participation in Percy’s schemes I feel leniency is appropriate.”

“What are you going to do about Yuri and his men? They know about us—and how to kill us.”

Vincent replies, “We have come to a suitable agreement with Mr. Poplonovich. We each understand that both of our organizations have our positions of strength as well as vulnerabilities. He and his people will hold our existence secret as long we stay out of his territory, both physically and in a business sense. He understands that the vampires who attacked him were primarily younglings and that if the enclave is forced to move against him to protect itself, he and his men will be wiped out to a man in an instant.”

I don’t think Vincent has a full grasp of Yuri’s cleverness but neither do I think Yuri can withstand a full assault from the enclave. The Council members alone have enough strength to defeat a small army. But Yuri is smart and knows his place. He’ll keep to the agreement and deal with the enclave as another power in the game to be watched and respected.

“Mr. Malone,   I trust you are feeling better?” Vincent asks, not out of concern for my health but as a lead in for another question.

“A fair bit. I’ll feel a lot better when you take care of this,” I reply and extend a folded slip of paper in my hand.

Vincent plucks it from my fingers and narrows his eyes as he reads it. “What is this?”

“It’s a bill. I’ve itemized my charges and expenses.”

“Ridiculous! As I told you before, you are a warder of your district and performed your duties as required to hold the position. I will not pay you, especially this ridiculous sum, simply for doing your job.”

“Doing my duty?” I exclaim. “My duty is to deal with sloppy unlawful predations and the general stupidity of individual vampires. You called me in to solve a highly complex problem that you knew was systemic to your organization. You knew you had corrupted Sheriffs and at least one Council member. That kind of duty falls on the Sheriffs, which I am not one of since you fired me for doing my duty. Your calling me in to deal with this large an issue puts me firmly in the realm of private contractor and that is my bill.”

I’m proud of myself for not jabbing my finger into Vincent’s bony chest to punctuate each of my points. I need to appeal to his logic and that would have made him defensive. And he probably would have ripped my finger off. I watch his jaw muscles convulse as he mentally chews on my argument.

“Very well, Mr. Malone, but the sum is still grossly inflated. I will pay you half, which is more than fair compensation for the work you did outside your duties as a warder. I suppose you desire some sort of apology from me as well?”

Oh, glory days! This is going to be the best part yet. I would wave my entire fee just to see the old bastard humble himself and admit he was wrong for firing me. I wish it were more public. My kingdom for a tape recorder.

I smile widely as Vincent continues. “Well you won’t get one! I still think you are a miserable little shit and hope you die a long and painful death.”

I feel my smile verbally slapped right off my face.

Vincent pauses to take a deep breath. “That being said, your continued loyalty and your willingness to risk your own safety for the sake of the enclave makes me realize that I may have acted hastily in removing you from the Sheriffs. I need a new captain and extend to you that position.”

I actually feel my heart leap with joy. Not for the invitation, but watching Vincent wipe the flecks of spittle from his face that sprays from my mouth as I erupt in laughter. I can actually hear his teeth grinding in fury as I push past him and his guards and give him the finger over my right shoulder as I walk away still laughing uproariously. It isn’t an apology but this is just as good and far more to my liking.

EPILOGUE

I got a call earlier from someone that needed some heavy protection so I’m in my office with my feet kicked up on my desk waiting. It’s not long before I hear the sound of feet clomping up my stairs—too many feet. And I think I smell a cat.

With a sigh, I pull out my phone and hit the speed dial for my lawyer just as Castillo bursts through the door with half a dozen cops, all with their guns drawn.

“Don’t move, Malone!” Castillo orders. “I have a warrant for your arrest.”

“What for now?”

“We have a missing persons report and a witness that saw you assault him just before he was last seen alive. I already have a videotaped witness report that positively identifies you. Let your shit bag lawyer tamper with this one,” Castillo tells me gleefully.

It takes me a minute to connect the dots—a problem when you assault so many people on a regular basis. She is referring to that kid I ended on the way to Yuri’s club, the one that was going to rape the girl.

Will picks up. “Will, it’s Leo. Yeah, Castillo is taking me in now.”

“Move it, Malone,” Castillo orders as she pulls out her cuffs, “I have your ass this time.”

*****

Kurt and Danny are best friends and celebrating their recent high school graduation by having a few beers in the bar of the Marriott thanks to their fake IDs.

“I can’t believe we’re finally done with high school,” Kurt says to his friend.

Danny raises his glass of beer in a toast. “Here’s to no more wedgies!”

“Here’s to NYU and hot college chicks desperate for math tutors!” Kurt adds and takes a deep drink from his glass. “I can’t believe we’ll be in college in the fall.”

 “I can’t believe that gorgeous woman at the bar has been checking you out for the past ten minutes,” Danny says, looking over at the bar to his left.

“What woman?” Kurt follows his gaze to the bar. “Her? No way, dude. She’s like forty.”

“Yeah, but a Courtney Cox forty. That is one hot cougar and she’s totally checking you out.”

“You’re crazy; women like that don’t look at guys like us.”

Nevertheless, the woman is looking right at him and gives him a wink. Kurt points at his chest with a quizzical look. The stunning, raven-haired woman smiles, nods her head, and beckons him with a crook of her finger.

Kurt whips his head back to face his best friend. “Oh my God, she’s a hooker!”

Danny shakes his head empathically. “No way, dude. If she’s a hooker, she’s one of those really high-class ones that cost like ten grand a night and she would know we don’t have that kind of dough just by looking at us.”

“What, you’re now an expert on prostitutes?”

“Actually, yes. I realized by my junior year that if I want to get laid before I am thirty my best bet is to pay for it so I’ve done my homework. Now get over there before she sobers up and realizes you’re a total dork!”

Kurt looks at his friend, back at the seductress and then back to his friend before standing up and nervously walking over to the bar.

He swallows deeply and says, “Um, hi. My name’s Kurt.”

“Hello, Kurt,” the woman says in a feint accent and demurely extends her hand.

Kurt takes her hand, gives it a small shake and starts to bow to kiss it before he realizes what he’s doing and shakes it once more.

“You are amusing,” she says. “Do I make you nervous, Kurt?”

“Actually, a little. Women like you do not usually talk to guys like me, and the girls that do just want help with their schoolwork. You don’t look like you need me to do you’re math homework.”

“That is the difference between being a girl and woman. Girls are foolish and cannot appreciate the quality of a good man.”

“That’s an interesting accent. Where are you from?”

She takes a sip from her glass and gives him a slow, almost predatory blink. “Quebec. I like to come to New York when I’m feeling especially playful. There is so much life in this city. It is unlike anywhere else in the world. Are you feeling playful, Kurt?”

Kurt feels a tingling rush course through his entire body. It is so strong he has to set his beer down on the bar before it falls from his nerveless fingers.

“Playful? Did you want to go to Coney Island or something?”

The woman gives him a laugh that nearly buckles his already trembling knees. “You are so cute. I have a room upstairs. Come with me.”

She takes him by his hand and leads him to the elevators before he can even respond—not that he could. Kurt can feel the blood pounding in his head and the whole world takes on a something akin to a dream state. He is also uncomfortably aware of the blood pounding almost painfully into another part of his body as well.

Once the elevator reaches the desired floor, she continues to lead him by the hand until they reach her room. Reaching into her small, expensive bag, she swipes the keycard in the reader and steps into a lavish suite.

Kurt pauses just outside the door, taking everything in, praying that he does not wake up from what must be a dream.

“Aren’t you coming in?”

“Sorry, I’m new at this sort of thing. I don’t even know your name.”

“Lesile,” the seductive woman whispers as she gently takes him by the tie and pulls him inside.

A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR

I hope you enjoyed this fun little tale and will try my other works. Please drop by at
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The Sorcerer’s saga
is an open-ended fantasy series.

The Sorcerer’s Ascension
, first of the series, starts with Azerick as young boy of wealth who loses everything before discovering great potential as a sorcerer while trying to survive on the deadly streets he now must call home. Travel with young Azerick as he grows up, grows strong, and grows steadfast in his determination to survive and make those pay who have taken everything from him.

The Sorcerer’s Torment:
Azerick has flees The Academy but quickly falls prey to powerful beings that use his skills and power for their own amusement. What these creatures do not understand is the power of the young sorcerer's will and the lengths he will go to for vengeance. Despite becoming a prisoner, Azerick finds his first true love but can he keep it?