Hunter's Moon.htm (17 page)

Yeah. I did. But I started to wonder who was setting up who. Was I going to run right into their arms if I went with Bobby?

"Why would you care?" I asked with narrowed eyes. My instinct told me not to trust anyone I couldn't smell. I'd worked with Bobby before, so I knew he was capable of a double-cross.

He let out an exasperated noise. "Christ, Tony. I'm the good guy here. I still owe you my life from Panama. Other than that, you're right. I don't care. Granted it took a big pair of cajones to off the kid right at the precinct steps, but it was pretty stupid, too."

He was right about Panama. That had been another really bad week. "Okay, let's say I believe you. How long do I have?"

"Not long. Leo's getting ready to leave for a meeting so that he's not here when it goes down. I know a back way out. But you'll have to get your lady and get moving."

"Not before I get my money back, Bobby. Leo's got a case full of it."

"Leave the money, Tony. Let it go. I'll get it for you if I can, but you need to high-tail it out of here right now."

I saw Bobby's face harden as he looked over my shoulder. I turned to see one of Vito's goons walking toward the table where I used to be. Shit! How long ago did Leo call them? How could they be here already?

I was trying to figure out how to find Sue when she found us. The hallway where we stood wasn't on the way to anywhere. It couldn't been easily seen. But that damn wolf intuition told me it was how it was supposed to work.

"What are you doing here?" asked Bobby with a startled look.

She shrugged her shoulders and a confused blend of scents rose from her. "I don't really know. I just got the feeling that I should come over this direction, so I cleared out my machine. But here you are! Wasn't that lucky?"

Yeah. Lucky. That weird, eerie sort of lucky.

"We have to go." I grabbed her hand and started to lead her in the direction that Bobby and I had started.

She pulled her hand back and soured milk disbelief burst from her skin. "But we just got here! Where are we going?"

Good question. I turned my attention to Bobby. "Where are we going?"

"The garage. Let's go! Now!"

I followed without a word pulling Sue along behind me by the hand. When we reached a doorway near the end of a hall, Bobby used his keys to open it. Inside was a stairwell that was narrow and steep. This wasn't for the public to use. That was obvious.

"What's going on, Tony? I don't want to go down there." Her fear was back and it struck me in the face like a brick.

I had to tell her. I hoped she could handle it. "Look, Sue. There are some men back there that are looking for me. If they catch me, I'm toast. We have to leave. You have to trust me."

Her breathing stilled and her voice was quiet. Her scent was a rising anger that caramelized the tiny room. "Are the police after you?"

I snorted as Bobby darted down the stairs to try to find a vehicle for us. "I wish! No, I won't have to worry about the police if these guys catch me. And they've seen me with you. You can't afford to stay, either." I stared at her long and hard. "What's it going to be, Sue? What am I worth to you?"

Her jaw set as she made her decision. "Let's go. But what about our stuff?"

"Leave it. We'll buy new." I turned and headed down the stairway with Sue at my heels. I quickly pulled away from her so I could get to Bobby to help him find a car. I bounded down two flights of stairs at a good clip. I was halfway across the garage level when I heard a commotion behind me. I turned to see that a doorway had opened on the next landing up and the kid from the desk had emerged behind Sue. He grabbed at her and was trying to cover her mouth with a cloth. She pulled away and swung her denim purse at him. It hit the side of his face with a thud and staggered him. Good purse. I started toward them with a burst of supernatural speed.

He quickly grabbed her arm and ripped the purse from it. It dropped to the stairway like lead. She screamed once as he pulled her through a doorway, the cloth once again over her face. I felt fuzz try to cover my brain and I stumbled against the wall for a moment. What the hell? I shook my head and blinked a few times as the door latched behind them.

Bobby only caught a glimpse of me as I growled and headed back upstairs.

Chapter 14

I opened the door where the kid had gone. I dropped to the ground and sniffed. Bingo! Dead things in a summer forest. Something inside me went berserk. It ripped away the last shreds of haze clouding my mind. Bobby had reached me and tried to slow me down. He grabbed my arm with a grip of iron. I knew in that instant that he was like me, like Leo, but I didn't have time to dwell on it. I moved through the door with supernatural speed. I heard the sleeve of my silk shirt rip with a wet sucking sound. I left Bobby holding a swatch of cloth.

I followed the trail of Sue's scent, nose up, nostrils flared. Her fragrance hung in the musty hallway like mist, laced heavily with ammonia panic and the chemical scent of whatever drug the kid had used. I could feel something building inside of me as I tracked her down. Something dangerous. When I heard her first moan I re-doubled my speed and found the shaft of dim yellow light from the doorway at the end of the third hallway. I smelled gun oil and the kid's confidence. I smelled Sue.

He stood inside the small room with gun aimed at the door. He held a semi-auto 9mm in a comfortable knowledgeable grip. So young, so self-assured. So stupid. A single, bare bulb hung from the ceiling of the grey concrete chamber. The room had the scent of multiple deaths. Too many to sort. Some had been quick, some slow and tortured. The scent hung like a pall and made the room seem small and close.

Sue was in and out of consciousness, crumpled on the floor in the corner. She hadn't gotten a full dose of whatever the drug had been and was trying to shake it off.

I smelled Ben's pride at catching Sue; his lust, sweat and then his terror as he saw me race toward him. He moved quickly, tried to get a shot off but I leapt at him before he could fire. I ripped the gun away from him. It skittered across the floor to disappear into the shadows. New muscles flexed and I felt him raise off the floor. My fingers convulsed around his neck. He flailed at me with fists and got me with a kick between the legs that would have dropped me to the floor a year ago. I hardly felt it.

I casually held him before me by the throat for a moment. I tightened my hand until I could feel the elastic skin start to give. He clawed at my fist, gasping for air. While I held him I saw his thoughts. Heard his conversation with Leo where they nonchalantly decided how to torture Sue once Vito's boys had taken me. Decided what acts would hurt me the most. I was supposed to die but not until after I knew what they'd done to her.

It didn't win him any points. I might have only hurt him. Not now. With one violent movement I snapped his neck. Sue didn't see what I had done. But I felt her tolerance of my act as well as a dark pleasure that surprised and frightened her. I saw the light in his eyes go out with a final surprised look. It pleased me.

"Jesus!" exclaimed Bobby from the doorway. He was breathing hard and stared with open horror at the scene. I held Ben's limp weight with one hand. His legs dangled above the floor. I turned and looked at Bobby. My lips were pulled back from my teeth and a nasty snarl erupted from me.

My stomach growled angrily and I battled the hunger again. What the hell was wrong with me? The moon was long gone. Why did I have the urge to rip out his throat?

Bobby swallowed hard but didn't back up. I had to give him credit.

"What the fuck are you, Tony? Ben was one of the best I've ever known."

My eyes flashed blue. "Better than me?"

He paused and considered. "Better than you used to be. What's happened to you? You're scaring the shit out of me here." He looked scared but didn't smell scared. In fact, he didn't smell at all, which was still confusing.

I dropped the kid to the floor with a thud. I turned and got a flash from Bobby as I brushed by him on my way out the door with Sue in my arms. I figured that he would be worried about Leo's wrath when he came back and found his plan ruined, whether or not Leo thought that Bobby helped. But that wasn't it. I sensed something else instead. A strength that was new to me. He wasn't afraid of Leo. He was higher somehow, more dominant. Dark images. Anger. Bobby had plans but they now must be changed. That was the worry. Everything was spoiled. Because of me.

"We've got to get you out of here," said Bobby, the anger rising into his voice. "Before they find us."

"I want Leo, Bobby." I had plans for him. I wasn't going to run anymore.

He was suddenly in front of me. His determination bit at my nose. His eyes were cold and hard. He stood right in my face. "No! That's not your decision."

I growled but he didn't back down. He sighed in frustration. "Look, Tony. I know he's got it coming. But there's shit going on that you don't know about. Don't get involved in this mess. Just take your lady and go. I'm serious here. Just go."

Sue was coming around. She rose to her hands and knees and shook her head.

"No! I want my money and I want Leo's head. He was going to hurt my lady!"

"I told you before. Walk away from the money, Ton," he said quietly. "I'll get it back to you if I can. But you've got to trust me on this. I'll clean up this mess you've left as best I can. Don't start a war you can't win. Let us take care of Leo. I promise you that he'll pay for this. I swear to you, man. My word."

I stared at him. There was something that Bobby was withholding. But then I looked at Leo's protegee lying at wrong angles on the floor, his eyes still open and startled. I sighed and Bobby took a deep shaky breath.

"Get us out of here in one piece and we'll call it square. But if you don't do him I will come back."

He nodded curtly. "I owe you nothing as of now. Right?"

I returned the nod.

"The only vehicle I could find is Leo's private limo. I took care of the driver. It's running. I was going to drive you, but now I've got to clean this up. Do me a favor and find another car before you get out of the city. I don't want to give him any reason to chase you."

I nodded. Sue could stand on her own. She shook her head again and blinked her eyes.

"What happened?"

"Let's get going. I'll explain on the way."

Chapter 15

I picked up Sue's purse at a run. Jeez! The thing must weigh twenty pounds! I handed it to her and she slung it over her shoulder with considerable effort as we flew down the stairs to the waiting car. I put on the chauffeur's cap and sunglasses that were lying on the dashboard. I couldn't hide the torn sleeve on my right arm. I had to hope that the guard wouldn't notice. Sue ducked down in the back. I put a finger to my cap as the gate raised, kept my arm tight to my body and smiled. The attendant did the same. The dark windows hid Sue's form in the back. Boy, would he hear about it for letting me out!

"It was nice of Bobby to give you back your case." Sue said after a few minutes. I glanced into the back in surprise, almost hitting another car in the next lane.

"He did?" Sue held up the case and damned if it didn't look like mine.

"See if you can open it up for me, will ya? The combination is 2192." I heard metallic clicking as she moved the dials and a snap as the latches opened.

"Is it all there?" I asked.

"I guess I don't know what all is," she replied.

"There should be about a million dollars in there. It's mostly twenties and hundreds."

Her scent from the back seat was surprise and disbelief. "No. There's no money here. It's all just documents and maps." I heard rustling paper.

I was getting annoyed that I kept hitting green lights. There was nowhere to park but I couldn't afford to anyway. I needed to ditch this car quick. I headed toward the suburbs to try to pick up a car from a grocery store lot. I really hate stealing cars. It's beneath me. And the second time in a month! Poor planning like this is a serious blow to my pride.

"There's a blueprint of a house and a bunch of things about some guy named Carmine Leone."

"What?" I turned my head again but snapped it forward when a horn blared beside me. I reached out my right hand. "Give me that blueprint."

"You can't look at it while you're driving!" Her voice matched the shock of soured milk.

"Just do it, Sue. This could be important."

She handed me the blueprint and I glanced at it while I drove. It didn't take much concentration. I knew the design immediately. It was the schematic of Carmine's house, all right, down to the security system. I had helped design it. What the hell was Leo doing with it? And why was it in my case?

The sound of screeching tires returned me to the car. I glanced in the rearview and found a black sedan quickly pulling up on our tail. Damn! There's nothing as conspicuous as a black limo in this town. They're meant to be noticed. I hit the gas hard and winced a bit as I heard Sue get thrown onto the floor from the force.

"Ow." She moved her head from side to side and I heard the joints crack back into place.

No time for sympathy right now. "Put everything back in that case and lock it up!" I ordered. "I need to look at everything in it. And see if there's any other paperwork back there, too."

"We can't take this!" Her anger bit at my nose. I'm getting really sick of the smell of burnt coffee. But at this point, I didn't care if she was angry or not.

"It's my case, Sue. There's got to be a reason why my case with my fingerprints all over it is holding documents showing how to break into my boss's house. Doesn't that seem a little suspicious to you?"

Her eyes widened in the mirror and she looked down at the papers in her hand. "Do you mean this Leo person is trying to frame you for something?"

"Looks that way. But I won't know what until I look everything over."

The anger scent slowly dissolved, to be replaced by thoughtful confusion. I glanced back at her in the rearview. She slipped inside herself. I didn't go with her. I was too busy weaving through traffic. I ducked through a cold red light before the oncoming traffic made it past the crosswalk. That did it! The black sedan did a nosedive as the brakes locked up to avoid getting creamed. I turned a wide comer and then pulled into the nearest alley. I just about had to hit the car on the other side of the street to make the turn. The doors barely opened far enough to exit in the narrow space between dumpsters. I removed the key and bent it in two. Then I tossed it on the seat. Like Bobby said, no reasons to follow. Leo probably has another key somewhere. I took the case from Sue's grasp and tugged her hand. She had a death grip on her purse with her other.