Tearing The Shroud (29 page)

How about something harder?

He looked at the high ceiling and the corner on the far side of the room.

He ran at the corner in an arc and leapt when he neared it, planting his foot on the casing of a metal door. Pushing off and up, he repeated the process, pushing from wall to wall nearly to the ceiling then shoved off in a long back flip. When his feet hit, he let his knees take the shock, rolling backward and came to his feet.

He tapped the top of the blades as he turned. ‘It works great.’

‘Okay,’ Flea said. ‘Forget the save-humanity stuff; let’s take this act on the road.’

Vinni smiled and walked to the group. ‘So, how much will these beauties cost?’

‘Unless you’re independently wealthy, they are probably beyond your means. However, I will accept another form of payment.’

‘Yes?’ Vinni raised an eyebrow.

‘Watching you tonight has been a wonderful down payment. For the rest, I require two things. Tell me of your Travel here, and life beyond the Shroud. Not all at once, mind you; come for coffee now and then, and we can chat. Secondly, keep me apprised of how things progress.’

Vinni extended his hand and smiled. ‘Done and done.’

‘Come to think of it, there is another thing.’ He took Vinni’s hand. ‘If you ever need assistance of any kind, you contact me. As you can see, I’m not without resources.’

Vinni knew he had another trustworthy ally. ‘Without hesitation.’

They locked eyes for a moment. ‘Wonderful. Let’s have a bit of refreshment before you depart.’ He started locking the cabinets. ‘By the way, Vincent, how did those beyond the Shroud find you?’

He reached into his pocket and retrieved the die. ‘Do you remember this little thing...?’

Chapter 25

An Unhappy Meeting

They stepped into the fog around 11 p.m.

‘Oh pl — ease, you can’t drive,’ Jule said. ‘It’s not safe yet. Maybe in a few days, after Coleman is more accustomed to our world.’

The four of them walked across the darkened street toward the white Celica. She was right, and he knew it. ‘Well, I don’t want to scare you.’

Flea sighed in relief.

‘So let’s try something else out.’

‘What are you thinking?’ Knife asked.

‘Since I
can’t drive,’
he glanced at Jule, who stuck her tongue out at him, ‘let’s see how fast I can sprint.’

‘Now
that
I can get behind.’ Jule grinned.

‘Wah-da-da-da, Nah-nan-na, Chu-chu-chu. Steve Austin, a man barely alive...’ Flea said.

Coleman asked.

It’s a TV show we grew up with. Umm, it’s like a play. Remind me to show you TV.

‘You guys get the car, and I’ll stretch.’

Jule kissed him on the cheek. ‘Be right back.’

He watched her saunter off.
Man, she has a nice wiggle to her walk.

Coleman asked politely.

Nah, it’s a pretty obvious trait.

There’s a fashion trend we need here.

A horn beeped. ‘You gonna stand there all night?’ Jule asked.

He grinned. ‘Hey, babe, wanna race?’

‘What do I get if I win?’ she asked in a sultry voice.

‘You keep talking like that, and I’ll stand here all night.’ He shook his legs. ‘The street’s narrow here; let’s go down a block.’

‘See you there,’ she said, as they pulled away.

After what happened in the shop, his heart pounded with anticipation as he ran easily behind the Celica. This would be fun. At the stop sign, Vinni trotted up to the driver’s side and looked in at Knife.

‘I’ll run over here, and if I need to avoid traffic I’ll get behind you.’

‘Sounds good.’ Knife nodded. ‘You want me to call the speeds?’

‘No, tell me after. I don’t want the distraction.’

‘Okay...you ready?’

‘Let’s go,’ Vinni started slowly then shot forward, forcing Knife to accelerate. Vinni’s pace plateaued. Knife brought the car alongside.
Come on, faster. Come on!
Vinni pushed for more, but felt topped out. He dropped behind the car, and they pulled to the curb. His pulse was thumping powerfully, but he felt fine as he walked to the window. ‘How’d I do?’

‘You’re no cheetah, but you hit twenty-six miles per hour.’

‘Really? Is that all?’

‘Is that all? Did he just say, “Is that all”?’ Flea asked.

‘Okay, sorry.’ He smiled. ‘After Mr Brown’s, I thought I’d be faster.’

‘That makes sense,’ Knife said. ‘Hop in; we’ll talk about it on the way back.’ Vinni got in the back with Flea then Knife pulled away from the curb. A car skidded passed, narrowly missing them, and lost control. It came to a stop sideways across the street.

‘What the — ?’ Jule yelled.

‘I didn’t see him!’ Knife said. ‘He came out of the fog.’

‘Hurry. Let’s see if they’re okay,’ Flea said.

Knife and Jule rushed to the stalled car, while Vinni and Flea climbed from the back seat. Knife went to the driver’s window.

Jule rounded the front of the car and bolted back toward them. ‘Vinni,’ she shouted. He saw two men who looked like bikers get out of the big sedan. They both had baseball bats and weren’t looking for a game. The driver came around the back of the car and strolled toward them. Vinni couldn’t see Knife.

Yep.

‘Flea, get the
wakizashi
.’

Flea ran back toward the car just as Jule got to Vinni. She went around behind him. ‘Jule, get in the car please,’ he said softly.

‘Knife’s on the ground by the door.’

‘Okay, please get to the car.’ He never took his eyes off the men.

‘On my way.’ She left then called to him, ‘Vinni.’

‘Yes?’

‘Try not to kill them.’

Keep her around?

The men stopped about thirty feet from him. The driver gestured, trying to make the other guy go first.

‘Vinni,’ Flea called.

‘What?’

‘You might want to see this.’

Through the fog he made out another car blocking the street behind them. He ran to Flea, took the offered grips, twisted, and drew the weapons. ‘Get in the car, Flea.’ He nodded at the advancing men. ‘The curb is low on the left side; get past them, circle around the block, and wait near the church. I’ll get to you with Knife, somehow.’

Flea started the car and gunned it straight at an advancing biker. The man ran and dove over a low wall as Flea went over the curb at an angle. The sidewalk was just wide enough for the Celica as they slipped around the sedan and sped into the night.

Four other men exited the second car and started forming a circle around him.

Can we keep from killing them?

‘Is this all of you?’ Vinni asked. He stood relaxed, the blades against his legs. ‘I can wait while you go get more.’

They looked at one another, frowning, and the circle stopped closing.

‘Unless someone brought a gun? Then you might have a chance.’ He giggled maniacally.

How’d you guess?

‘Don’t need no guns fer a punk-azzed college kid,’ the driver said.

A voice came from behind, ‘Gotta watch costs.’

‘That’s a good thing.’ Vinni eased away from where Knife lay.

‘Huh?’ a man in a leather vest asked.

Vinni focused on him, still grinning wildly. ‘Your hospital bills are gonna be huge.’

The man held up a hand and the circle stopped.

Vinni said, ‘It’s time to start taking limbs, and I think I’ll start with...’ He tilted his head, letting his hair cascade around his face then pointed a blade at the vest wearer. ‘You.’

He came at the man, pulling them away from Knife. His psycho act made the man retreat, and the circle moved with him then Vinni changed direction and attacked. The man raised his bat defensively while the rest yelled and closed in on him.

The men’s movements seemed to slow drastically. Vinni shifted his attack, coming in low and lashing out with his right blade. He turned his wrist and the back of the
wakizashi
slammed into the man’s shin, six inches from his foot. The bone snapped like a tree limb breaking, and erupted through the skin as the man stepped forward. He toppled to the ground, his scream of pain an elongated ‘Oh...’ as Vinni turned left.

A bat came down where Vinni had been a split second before. Vinni struck upward with the ridge of his blade and two new joints bent the attacker’s forearms downward. He whipped past the man’s back, into two spinning leaps toward the third biker. Vinni’s right heel arced down, slamming into the base of his skull and the biker fell, poleaxed. Launching across the circle, Vinni snapped his leg out powerfully in a flying sidekick. His shoe crushed the nose of a snarling, gold-toothed enemy, knocking the man into the fog. Spinning to his left, Vinni struck the fifth thug on the forehead with the flat of the blade. His head rocked backwards and his feet flew from under him; then he floated to the ground unconscious. Only the leader remained.

That went well.

How about that axe kick?

The man’s anger turned to confusion as time decompressed like a cracked whip.

‘I tried to warn you.’ Vinni stood in the center of the human wreckage.

‘But...you...’

‘I know. I said you were first.’ He shrugged. ‘Combat involves deception.’

‘What...are you?’ The leader stumbled backward, caught his heel and sat down hard.

‘You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.’ Vinni brought the
wakizashi
to the man’s chin.

‘Please...don’t...don’t kill me.’

He tilted his head, holding the man’s eyes. ‘If I wanted your souls...’

Shhh, I’m being dramatic.

‘...my blades would have them.’

‘I...I...’

‘You. You. Are going to tell me why you did this?’ He flicked his wrist, nicking the man’s cheek and a trickle of blood ran down into his beard.

‘We...were out for some fun.’ The man’s eyes darted wildly.

‘Fun? This was just
fun
?’ Vinni clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to slit the man’s throat and rid the world of him.

‘I...we...’ He shakily held up his hand and a small rectangular object fell from it.

‘What’s that?’

The man moved only his eyes ‘It...it was on the floor of my car. I was gonna stuff it in your mouth.’

‘Hand it here.’

The biker picked it up with a quivering hand and held it out.

Vinni took it. ‘A domino? Why?’

The biker held up a hand, shaking his head. ‘I don’t know...really...it just came to me.’

Vinni put it in his back pocket, holding the man’s eyes as he did. ‘Get your men to a hospital and leave town.’ He leaned down, grinning. ‘If I see you again, my blades
will
have your souls. Do you understand?’

‘
Yes
. Please... Thank you...never...you’ll never see us again. I swear.’

‘Your oath? You swear it?’

‘Yes, I swear.’ He started to weep.

Vinni turned and walked into the fog.

Knife’s unfocused eyes wandered aimlessly when Vinni arrived.

‘Knife, it’s okay, bud. I’m gonna carry you.’ Vinni helped him to his feet and lifted him with his shoulder, heading along the right side of the street. ‘The blades are in my belt; don’t cut yourself.’

‘Who’s yelling?’ Knife asked

‘Broken bones are pretty painful.’

Knife snickered as Vinni turned into a parking lot for Old Town.

‘I think I can walk.’

Vinni set him carefully on his feet. Knife weaved but stayed upright. ‘I told Flea to circle the block, so we’ll cut through the village.’

‘Stay close, things are still swimming.’

‘Just like the guy that hit you.’

‘Oh really?’

‘Yeah, I slapped him upside the head with the flat of my blade.’ He bared his teeth at his friend.

‘Nice.’

They moved along the dirt street past the preserved adobe buildings. It felt like they were two hundred years in the past, coming home from a tavern brawl. Lamps dotted the way — diffused, glowing spots in the fog. The state park ended and a street lined with businesses continued. Vinni looked to the left and saw the mission church on the corner, like a white fortress in the darkness.

Car lights flashed, and Jule jumped out, running their way. She wrapped her arms around them, speaking rapidly, ‘Knife are you okay? What happened? How’d you get away? Where are those men?’

Knife started to chuckle.

Vinni smiled. ‘Knife’s fine, we had an altercation, we walked, and they’re lying all over the street.’

Jule nodded. ‘Good, serves them right.’

Flea asked quietly, ‘Did you...kill any of them?’

‘No, but some probably wish they were dead.’

‘Let’s discuss this in the car,’ Knife said. ‘We should get going.’