Gods of Manhattan (20 page)

On the one hand, he'd heard all he needed to - a full confession. On the other hand, Doc Thunder was there.

He wondered if it wouldn't be better to shoot now, while Thunder was trapped in that steel net. Shoot him and run. Right now.

His trigger finger began to itch.

"I wanted to bring Donner to trial. I wanted the world to see-"

El Sombra laughed. "Why? You knew he was guilty, amigo. You knew just what he was guilty
of.
Why not just do it? I'd have done it, a dozen times. Or were you holding back because you didn't want people to know about
your
little secret?"

Doc Thunder froze, looking warily at the masked man. "What do you mean?" It was a question he already knew the answer to.

El Sombra leaned close, looking the other man right in the eye. "I know who you are, amigo. I know
what
you are. I read Donner's-"

Doc's eyes narrowed. Enough.

The Blood Spider's eyes narrowed. Enough stalling.

Kill him.

Now.

As the Spider's finger tightened on the trigger, Doc Thunder moved. The masked man had made the mistake of taking the point of the sword away from his eyeball for half a second, and then he'd leaned in close to give Doc an extra-intimidating stare. Presumably he'd learned that one in some chapbook about scary banter.

Bad move.

Doc snapped his head forward suddenly, viciously delivering a brutal head butt to El Sombra's nose, smashing it and sending him flying back in an arc, trailing blood from the crushed cartilage.

Thunder didn't feel the bullet that passed within a few inches of his face, through the air where El Sombra's head had been, or hear the silenced gunshot. So he never knew that he'd saved the masked man's life. Neither did El Sombra.

It probably wouldn't have changed much if they had.

"That's what they call a Bronx kiss, masked man." Doc growled, tugging at the netting hard, ripping it away from him so he could stand up. "Welcome to New York City. We've got a nice hotel waiting for you; it's called Rackham Penitentiary. You'll like it there. Bare nipples are in vogue." He smiled, grimly. "Get up. And don't think about using that sword. It's going to take more than that to cut my skin."

El Sombra rose, shaking his head groggily. For a moment, he gripped his sword tightly, then he lifted it up above his head, opening his hands and shaking his head slowly. "Fine, amigo. You've got me. Put the cuffs on."

Doc took a few steps closer, reaching out for El Sombra's wrists. "I don't actually carry -"

El Sombra moved quickly, bringing the sword around in a circle, swinging it as hard as he could, aiming the edge of the blade between Doc's legs. As it slammed home, Doc gave a strangled scream, dropping to his knees immediately. El Sombra grinned.

"Maybe you do have an indestructible nutsack, amigo, but I think that's going to leave a dent, right? Want me to do the other ball? Or maybe I should put this in your brain and put you right out of your misery once and for all, eh? It wouldn't be like killing a real human, would it?" He snarled. "Come on, tell me why I shouldn't. All I'd be killing is a monster built by monsters -"

"Stop right there."

Maya stood in the doorway leading into the building, holding a pistol at her hip. Her eyes were hard as stone. A man in a red mask, standing over a man she loved. She raised the gun, aiming between El Sombra's eyes.

"
Dios mio!"
the masked man breathed. "Tell me,
chiquita,
has anybody ever written you a poem? I know somebody who writes great poems. He's really improved a lot. They rhyme now." Inspiration seemed to strike him. "Or I could rescue you from a giant robot! That often works."

"Shut up." Maya cocked her pistol. She was in no mood to mince words. "No, don't. You can tell me why I shouldn't kill
you.
"

El Sombra smiled. "Because I've never slept with a woman." Doc Thunder blinked at him. "What? It's true."

Doc Thunder sighed. "It's not him, Maya. He didn't try to kill Monk. And he saved my life. And..." He swallowed. "We need to talk. About Donner. About what you read in that journal of his."

Maya scowled, lowering the gun and turning to Doc Thunder. "Something about a monster created by monsters. Want to explain that one, Doc?"

Doc winced, covering his eyes. "Not now, Maya. Right now we need to consult with... what's your name?" He looked up. "Hello?"

The rooftop was empty, but for the two of them.

The Blood-Spider frowned, putting away his pistol. He'd almost fired, several times, but... it wasn't the time. He'd seen the masked man leap from the rooftop while Thunder and his princess were distracted. Doubtless he had a means prepared to break his fall and ensure a quick getaway. And the man was quick, the Spider had to give him that.

But not quick enough.

I have you, murderer,
the Spider thought to himself, beginning his descent.
I will find you, devil, no matter where you choose to hide, to revel in the sins you've committed in the name of your own inhumanity. For where all inhuman devils revel in their sins...

...the Blood-Spider spins!

"How did he do that? We only took our eyes off him for a second."

"You've got worse problems." Maya cut off Doc's train of thought, looking stern. "I checked in on Monk on the way up here."

Doc's blood ran cold. "No. Venger said he hadn't hurt him."

"He hadn't." Maya smiled, humourlessly. "His impression of Doctor Hamilton stretched to doing no harm. But he didn't help him, either. Monk got just enough of your blood to get him stable and put him on the mend. He's on a saline solution now. He's still sleeping, probably will be for some time."

Doc frowned. "So where..."

"I don't know. None of the doctors seemed to be able to tell me where the sample you gave ended up. We checked the hospital's cold room. Not a sign."

Doc felt that chill again, seizing his heart. "That's why Venger pretended to be Doctor Hamilton, so he could steal my blood. Why didn't I see it?" He shook his head. There was a lot he hadn't seen, thoughts that had been dancing in and out of his mind like puzzle pieces ever since the Omega Machine. He felt as if he was right on the edge of putting the whole jigsaw together. "You're right, Maya. I think we have got problems."

Maya looked away. "I didn't say 'we', Doc. I said 'you'." She looked back at him, a deep weariness in her eyes.

"I'm leaving you, Doc."

Doc Thunder looked at her - looked at her properly for the first time since she'd brought him that paper the morning before. Suddenly he couldn't think of anything else. "Maya -"

"I'm going back to Zor-Ek-Narr."

Chapter Eleven

The Case of The Secret Scientist

The Blood-Spider's feet touched down on the floor of the alley by the hospital, and he took a moment to look around and check for any clues. To actually catch the Sword Killer was perhaps too much to hope for, at least immediately, but there was the slim chance that he'd find a hint as to which direction he'd taken. The important thing was that he knew who had murdered Heinrich Donner - clearly an inhuman killer.

Inhumanity would not be tolerated. Could not be tolerated. Such was the mission of the Blood-Spider.

As the Spider looked around, his ears caught a sound from nearby; a soft, wheezing moan, like the air escaping from a tyre. He turned, drawing his silenced pistol in a flash of movement.

It was Anton Venger. He had landed in a dumpster.

Perhaps it was due to the pliable nature of his flesh, but the snapping of his neck had not killed him, although he seemed unable to move, and his head now lolled at a grotesque angle. Most of his bones seemed to be broken, and blood leaked from his nose. The Blood-Spider was disgusted, but not entirely surprised, to note that the blood of Anton Venger was not red, but a light, sickly blue. His eyes flickered towards him, imploring, and he attempted to move his lips to speak. Even in such pain and fear as he was in, his face retained only the emotions he gave it. As such, he looked sanguine and unconcerned about his own death.

"Crane?" he breathed, weakly. "Help... help me."

"
Help you?"
The Blood-Spider looked at him through the implacable lenses. His voice was a cold hiss, like escaping steam - in its own way, just as emotionless as Venger's. A passer-by would have been mystified by the apparent ennui with which they greeted the situation.

Or terrified, perhaps.

"
Help you."
the Spider repeated, as though contemplating the question. Venger's body twitched, shuddering like a cockroach pinned to a board. "
You sent Crane a telegram.
"

"Yes. I sent you a telegram." His eyes widened as the Blood-Spider lifted his automatic, pointing the barrel of the gun squarely between his eyes.

"
Crane."

"Wh... what...?" Venger was breathing heavily, a constant rasp from his damaged lungs. He was clearly terrified, and in great pain.

That was good.

"
You sent Crane a telegram.
Crane
. If I were you, I wouldn't become confused on that point again.
"

Venger twitched again, trying to nod. "Fine! Fine! I sent Crane a telegram. I - I have something for you. For Crane. It's in my coat pocket. The vial's very thick, it won't have broken. It's, ah... for our mutual friend." He swallowed, and his lips twitched and bubbled, as if he was attempting a smile. "Our friend Fifty fifty. Heh."

"
Fifty fifty. What does that mean?"

Venger blinked. "It's the code. Fifty fifty. You know." He swallowed. His face still did not change, but his eyes grew glassy, the pupils dilating with terror. "You don't know... oh God, he said you knew! He said you were working for him! You must be working for him! You
must
be! Fifty fifty! Fifty fifty!
Fifty fifty!
Crane, for the love of God, you
have
to know-"

The automatic spat a single, silent bullet, and a blue flower bloomed in the centre of Anton Venger's forehead as his brain matter, the colour of delicate Japanese pottery, exploded out into the garbage.

"
I told you not to become confused.
"

He hadn't meant to pull the trigger - there was so much more to learn - but to have Venger screaming his name, his real name, where anyone walking by could have heard him... better he was silenced. The Blood-Spider had no doubt that whoever this mysterious 'Fifty fifty' was, he would be hearing from him soon enough.

And if his hunch was correct, so would Doc Thunder.

Working quickly, the Spider searched through Venger's pockets. Inside one of them there was a thick vial, still stoppered and sealed, undamaged by the fall from the roof.

It was full of blood.

The best part of a pint, unclotted, still cool from the cold room of the hospital. Wound around the neck, there was a slip of paper reading 50/50 - DOC THUNDER.

Doc Thunder's blood.

The Blood-Spider nodded once, grimly, and slid the vial into the inside pocket of his coat. Then he turned and walked deeper into the pooling shadows of the alley.

By the time the police found the body of Anton Venger, he was long gone.

Marlene Lang picked up the phone on the first ring.

She'd only just managed to get in the door of her apartment, after securing the Silver Ghost in its usual hiding place in her private garage, behind a false wall in the side of the apartment building. The Blood-Spider owned the building under an alias - he was the only other person who knew it was there. Even Parker didn't know about it.

She reacted instinctively, but froze once she'd lifted the receiver out of the cradle. What if this wasn't him? What if it was whoever he'd gone to meet - whoever his 'business' had been with? What if he (she didn't consider that it might be a she) had killed the Spider and was now coming to do the same to her?

"H-hello?" Her voice trembled, uncertain.

"
Ms. Lang."

She let out the breath she'd been holding. She hadn't expected a call the moment she'd come in. If he'd needed her that urgently, he would have asked her to keep the engine running, surely? For a quick getaway. But then, he'd wanted to protect her. She was surprised at how that thought made her feel.

"Do I still need to pack the suitcase?" Her voice shook, no matter how much she willed it to stop. His tone seemed almost amused, but still compassionate, inasmuch as it ever seemed to be anything at all. How much was there, and how much was she reading into it?

"
You may still need it. But right now... you're needed. Meet me at pickup point C."

She nodded. That one was near the corner of first and thirty-fifth, not far from the hospital. He must have called from the kiosk there. "I'll come right away, Sir." she said, blushing at how the
sir
slipped out. He hung up, leaving her with the dial tone and her whirling thoughts.