Tales Of The Sazi 02 - Moon's Web (29 page)

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I didn't have much time to dwell on Ivan's statement because of the commotion going on in the main lobby. Raven and Emma's remains were nowhere to be found, but Scotty had apparently arrived, if the shouts and screams were any indication.

We sprinted down to the second floor and caught the tail end of the incident. Lelya was wiping pink paint from one arm and the side of her neck. There was a bit of pink on a nearby lampshade. Not bad, but not enough for the prize. He hadn't tagged the artery.

Nikoli was untouched, but… Yurgi was being helped from the floor, and had two neat splats of pink right over his heart. The rest of the pack had gathered in a circle around the three.

I could hear the shock in his voice as he looked at his shirt. "Is… is paint?" He touched the pink and looked at Nikoli in surprise. The pack leader was chuckling. "It is game being played?" I realized what had happened. Scotty had gotten Nikoli in his sights, but Yurgi saw. He jumped in front of Nikoli as the shots were fired. Scotty had managed to get off two more shots at Lelya, but missed the kill, before he was jumped. I glanced across the lobby to see that Lucas was helping Scotty to his feet. Boris and Celia had apparently taken Scotty down. The kid was lucky that Lucas had been nearby. Boris looked furious.

Nikoli's face moved from amused to surprised. Then it softened for a moment— became serious, because he suddenly realized the import of what had just happened. Yurgi hadn't known it was a drill. I couldn't smell it from my position, but the looks between Nikoli and Lelya said a lot. They were proud and pleased. Nikoli straightened his back and approached the stunned Omega. He put a firm and warm hand on Yurgi's shoulder. "Yurgi Stefanovich Kroutikhin— you have saved my life and that of my mother this day. You are Omega no more, my… " He glanced at Scotty, who was watching with interest. I knew he had been planning to say "my wolf," but the presence of a human changed that.

"My ... friend. Come, we will discuss your prize, and clean you before the guests arrive." He walked by Lucas and raised his brows. "Quite an impressive display. You are correct that we have been lax. I will discuss this with my people and we will be more prepared by nightfall."

Lucas nodded upward in my direction. "Thank Tony. It was his idea." Nikoli glanced at me and Ivan and nodded thoughtfully. Then he wrapped an arm around Yurgi's shoulders and led him away.

Lelya clapped her hands sharply. "Let's go, people! Celia, have this lampshade replaced. The rest of you—

straighten the carpet and look for any more paint. We have guests arriving soon, and I want this place clean and ready. And… " she said, staring at each person in turn, including the children. "We will be keeping a closer watch for strangers, correct? Use your eyes, your ears, even… " She shot a significant look at Scotty,

"Your… noses to check for anything out of the ordinary."

She walked over to Scotty and Lucas. She gave Scotty a stern look. "You really should cut back on the cologne or use unscented soap, young man. It's quite strong. I knew you were in the room somewhere. You're just asking to be caught."

Scotty's eyes stared into the older woman's and he suddenly realized that she wasn't a sweet, fluffy sort of mother. She was quite serious. Scotty lifted his arm to his nose and sniffed. Apparently, it was strongly scented, because he swore and muttered. He nodded and dropped his head. Lucas chuckled and led the kid over to where Ivan and I were descending the stairs.

He was whining before he even reached us, and Lelya was right. The soap was one of the "fresh scent" varieties and damned powerful, even if I'd still had a human nose.

"You didn't tell me you were going to have heroes, Mr. G. It was a good hit! And I wouldn't have missed the old lad… her, if I hadn't gotten jumped."

I shook my head and let my face go cold. "No excuses. The job is the job, and you know it. See? It's not so easy playing with guns, is it? You've got to plan for stuff like this and be ready. You need training." His face fell and the burnt metal scent of frustration blended with the wet fog of sorrow. "Ah, man! I don't get the gold, do I?"

Ivan was staring at the negotiations and shaking his massive head in disbelief. I waggled my hand for a moment and then decided. "Okay, you might have clipped the artery on the mom. And depending on the bullets you used, you might have still wounded the first mark through the hero." I held out my hand. "I'll give you half. Deal?"

He sighed and shook my hand. "Deal, I guess. Do I gotta go back to Carmine's and hook up with Mr. Karasiuk again? He's got it in for me."

"No. I made a few calls." I reached into my pocket and extracted the sum we'd agreed on. "Joey won't be able to pull a trigger for a few months. You'll be working with a new guy. He's coming in special to train you." I'd scored some points when I made that call yesterday. Dad had still thought I was dead. I used a payphone just outside the city and called his boccie club. They've got a switchboard, so it's a lot tougher to trace. I convinced him to fly back and stay for a while to train the kid. He's pretty good, after all— he trained me. Carmine's pretty happy with the deal, too. He'd get a fifth for poker for a time. My chair hadn't been filled. I'll probably still never see Dad again, but he understands. It's how the game is played. Scotty's face brightened, and he looked like a regular kid again, instead of an assassin in training. "Cool! I've already got my bus ticket, about an hour from now. Can someone give me a lift?" I glanced around the room. I really couldn't leave. Lucas raised his head. "I'll get him there." He put an arm around the kid's shoulders and tightened it until a light scent of fear rose from him. "I want to have a little chat about staying out of Chicago from now on."

Fair enough— it saved me the trouble. I nodded and stepped sideways when little Alek rushed by with a replacement lamp shade.

I thought of something suddenly and sprinted after them as they stepped out of the building. "By the way, kid, how did you get in?" I'd almost forgotten to ask.

He turned his head and flipped the hair out of his eyes. "Laundry delivery, man. You ought to post a guard on the basement door. Your people unlocked it and left. The company driver got a bag from the truck and took it inside. The door stood wide open until they came back to get another one. It was easy." I gave Ivan a significant look before calling after Lucas' retreating form. "Raven tell you about Emma, Lucas?" The older man took a deep breath, let it out slow, and then closed his eyes for a second and nodded. "Yeah. We'll talk later."

I returned the nod. I turned back to go inside when a bright quad of headlights appeared out of the swirl of snow. The massive black beast of a vehicle stopped in front of the hotel. I realized what it was as soon as it came fully into view— a Hummer limo. They're powerful, extremely surefooted in snow and ice, but ugly as sin.

I watched as Bobby jumped out of the driver's seat and sprinted around the vehicle to open the doors. He was in full chauffeur's gear, including the grey brimmed hat.

Sergei peeked out and I heard him yell backwards that guests were arriving. I stood off to the side, just guarding. I slipped my Taurus from the holster and held it loosely behind my back, watching for any movement on the street.

A slender Middle Eastern man stepped out of the Hummer. I could barely see him through the blinding red aura that blazed around him. It made my eyes hurt. He eyed the snowy sidewalk with disapproval. Yeah, I guess we should have shoveled the walk. I'd mention it to Lelya. Sergei certainly couldn't handle a shovel and I didn't know where they were.

The man had a thin, long face that frowned more often than smiled. He nodded to Bobby. "My thanks, Agent Mbutu, for your driving talents. I'm not often in snowy climates." The words didn't sound very thankful. They hissed and rolled angrily.

Bobby dropped his head slightly. Either he didn't take offense, or he hid it well. "My pleasure, Councilman Al Narmer. I believe your rooms are ready and there is a buffet available for appetizers before dinner. Your bags will be brought up." Sergei rushed out to bring a gold plated cart for the luggage before returning to the door. The man nodded imperiously and stepped into the carpet of white. He shook his foot each time it sank into the snow. God forbid that his expensive pants might get wet. Still, he was a guest. I'd met worse. He barely glanced my way as he walked through the door that Sergei held open, but his entourage did. Eight similarly slender men with cold, cruel faces exited the Hummer behind the councilman. They stared at me long and hard, deciding whether I was a threat. I nodded my head and let my face drop into its mercenary best. One of the olive-skinned men approached me. He didn't glow as bright as his employer, but it was still impressive. He smelled of desert trees and brush. It was a sharp unpleasant smell.

"You're Wolven? I don't know you."

I shook my head. "I'm part of Councilman Molotov's security team. There are Wolven members inside."

"I would have thought that our arrival would merit better security than a simple wolf guarding the entrance." I raised my brows. I thought about shooting him, just for fun. But it would probably be taken badly. I didn't respond to the dig. I stared into his eyes and let the silence stretch until he started to shiver. He turned in a huff and walked back to his group. They entered the building, totally ignoring the pile of bags that Bobby was unloading from the rear of the limo. I walked up to him and could smell that he was seething.

"Great guys, Bobbo! Are they typical of the other council members?"

"Thank God, no! That's Ahmad— he's a king cobra, representing the snakes. He's dangerous as hell, and don't forget it."

No wonder Bobby was deferential to the guy. "So he's your representative on the council?" Bobby removed the last bag from the trunk and loaded it on top of the others on the cart. He rolled his eyes.

"Don't remind me. But, he is good at his job for what it's worth." He was just starting to move it toward the front door when Boris appeared at the entrance. He tugged at his uniform, which was stretched tight over his barrel chest. He was shaking his head and muttering under his breath.

"If our gracious Alpha did not insist on clean language, I would devise a proper curse for that… that kham." I knew enough Russian mat to know that it was a mild curse, calling a person rude or unmannered. I chuckled. "Yeah, I could think of a few choice phrases myself. I take it he's being a pain in the ass?" Boris tugged the cart through the slush. He glanced down. "I will call the children to remove the snow. But yes, Tony. He is, as you say, a pain in osiól. Already he has made demands: 'My room is not clean enough.'

'Why am I placed on second floor, like a common beggar?' 'These mice look like laboratory culls. Can no one find healthy wild mice in this city?' S'blood! He is… " He struggled to find an appropriate word, but eventually gave up and just threw up his hands.

Bobby snorted. "That's Ahmad, all right. I'm surprised that someone hasn't already killed him. Well, I better get this rig back to the airport. Someone else should be arriving soon." He glanced around, looking for someone.

Boris gave Bobby a final clap on the back.

"You are lucky man! Everyone talks of the event." Ah, man. I'd already heard the rumors. I had hoped that nobody would mention it. I hate gossip.

He stared at Boris in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Yep, I was afraid of that! Nobody had bothered to tell him, and he's been doing other stuff. That pisses me off. He has the right to know if he's going to be a father. It's his life, too.

I debated on whether to say anything more, but I didn't get the chance. Boris's voice lowered to a slightly less than shouting whisper. "You do not know yet, my friend? S'blood! No! This is wrong. You must make plans with Lady Asri and how can you do this without knowing?"

Bobby was staring at the big man frantically. The strong scent of fear and frustration beat at me across the short distance.

"C'mon, Boris. Spit it out."

He stepped closer to Bobby and lowered his voice even more while I shook my head. Stuff like this is how people get a bullet in the brain. "I have overheard our lady Duchess and the councilman talking. They say that you must be on driving duty because if Nikoli finds out, you would suffer. And then my Maria, she saw Lady Asri staring at herself in the mirror and pressing on her stomach. Lady Asri has been crying much and speaks in harsh tones, even at Nikoli! It is clear, is it not, my friend?" He raised his eyebrows significantly and then made a big show out of zipping his fingers across his lips before turning and pushing his cart back to the entrance.

Bobby's mouth opened slightly and his eyes darted from side to side. He looked down and a slow smile spread his lips. "Tony, do you really think Asri could be pregnant?" I shrugged. He reached out to grab my shoulders but then stopped short like a dog on a rope. Good thing. I had no desire to see his latest escapade with the dragon. He lowered his hands but kept the smile. "If there's even a chance, Tony! That's… it's… amazing! We're both the last, Tony! If she could have children like even one of us… "

I raised my brows. "But we are talking about Asri, Bobby. God knows what her plans are. It could be significant that she hasn't mentioned it to you."

"It's all the peppermint we've been wearing. Maybe she doesn't even know!" A sharp laugh erupted. "You're not making sense, Bobby. Women know that shit about themselves." A noise made me turn. A sleek silver sedan was pulling up to the hotel. Bobby didn't notice. "Well, I'll just confront her! I mean, a child! It'll be… "

"Interesting" I completed. The sedan stopped and Bobby finally turned. The man who exited was as wide across as a building, but not more than 6'1." he barely had a glow about him. He was wearing a London Fog trench coat over a really expensively tailored grey wool suit. But his most striking features were his large nose under tiny little brown eyes. It made his face seem out of proportion. Bobby was struck dumb at his appearance, but finally recovered as the man walked up to him with raised brows.