Tales Of The Sazi 02 - Moon's Web (34 page)

"You got bit last time, too? Jeez, Jack was right— you really are slow!" He flipped me his middle finger in response. He got himself to a standing position. I didn't help, because he needed to be able to do it himself if this was going to work. He started pulling the weapons out of his waistband and placed them in a row on the balcony ledge. "Just get her to me and take out the heart. I'll handle the rest."

I turned to leave, but had to ask, since it might come up in my future, too. "How'd you survive the bite last time?"

He shook his head, understanding the implication. "Not an option this time, sorry. There was an antidote waiting for us back in Jack's village. Just try not to get hit." I nodded, but didn't leave. I could tell from his face and posture that there was more to be said.

He didn't look at me. He just kept repositioning the weapons on the ledge. "If you end up going back alone, I'd like to be buried near Mesa Verde in Colorado. It's where my pack lived when I was young. And tell my wife I really did love her… despite… well, a lot of things."

I nodded once and descended the stairs to the sound of him violently jacking rounds into the chambers of the semi-autos. He really didn't think he'd survive and, unfortunately, I couldn't disagree. Most of his thigh had turned black and the wound had started to ooze a pus-like fluid just in the time we'd been talking. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I stopped and tried to remember what I knew about spiders. It was obvious that this one could climb any surface and liked to attack from above. I glanced up and around. The three cocoons were still in sight, but no Bobby. Stop it, Giodone, I commanded myself. He isn't my problem right now.

I took a deep breath and looked all around again. Back to spiders— they usually keep to dark places. So, I had to look in dark places. Wish I'd thought to bring a flashlight. Even my Sazi eyes need some light. Instead, I used my ears. I'd heard it move before, and now it should be wounded, depending on how fast it could heal.

A second later I stopped and stared at my feet— or at least, at the floor, which was now covered with a light mist, like fog rolling. Okay, now that's just creepy.

I heard a faint sound and the twin Barettas rose and pointed before I had my head fully turned. There was nothing there but… one of the cocoons was missing! That was either a really good thing, or a bad one. Was the spider already moving her nest? I needed to speed up this process.

I took another step cautiously. The mist was up to my knees now. I wished I could smell enough to decide whether this was something natural that was going to kill me, like some sort of chemical leak, or something unnatural that was going to kill me instead. I calculated in my head as I stalked the edges of the room— if the spider is three feet high standing, how high does the mist need to be before the spider can just hunker down and lie in wait right in front of me? Oh, about knee high. Just frigging wonderful!

I felt Lucas's intrusion into my head before I heard his voice. The mist is the spider's scent, Tony! They did this in the jungle, too. I'm starting to get my nose back. Hurry and find something to stuff up your nostrils, or you won't be able to think any second now. I cut a couple pieces of cloth for mine. Shit! I found a wall to put my back against for a moment. He could have mentioned this before! I pulled the silver knife from my boot and cut a couple of squares from my jeans and stuffed them up my nose, adjusting them like ear plugs until there was no air intake. Fortunately, I didn't have my sense of smell back yet. I hoped to continue that trend. But breathing was going to be a pain in the ass. I heard a shuffling sound as I stepped away from the wall, along with a scraping thump. Hmm. That might just be the sound an eight legged creature would make when using seven legs. The sound still moved too quickly for my taste, but it wasn't the blur of sound from before. I glanced up again and swore under my breath. Now there was only one cocoon remaining! I didn't even care whether it was Bobby or the spider— I should be noticing this stuff! I'm letting my nerves get the best of me. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and focused. When I opened them, I'd switched sides. I wasn't on the defensive anymore. I was the hunter, and the mark would go down, even though I hadn't quite worked out how I was going to lead it and follow it at the same time.

The screen door ripped open in my mind. You're not going to lead it! I hope you're ready, because here we come!

I looked up and across the vast length of the room. Sue was running with the speed of an Olympic sprinter toward the balcony where Lucas stood. But she wasn't going to be fast enough to stay in the lead much longer. I took off at a diagonal angle toward the pair.

How did you get her to follow you? I asked as I raced toward them.

Her voice was breathless in my head. Hit her in the eye with a brick! I played softball in high school. Yeah, that would do it.

But I'm having a hard time thinking, Tony. That mist is making me dizzy. She shook her head as I watched. The creature started gaining on Sue, despite the strange way it was running. I saw why— I'd cut off one front leg, and the one behind it must have broken in the fall and was healing badly. The spider was moving in an ambling, twitchy kind of shuffle that made it seem even more monstrous and unnatural. I heard that same hissing trill as I'd heard in Asri's memory. "I won't save you for my children, woman! You'll satisfy my hunger now!" The spider's fangs reached out and forward with a lurch, snagged on Sue's jacket, and started to drag her to a stop.

Lose the jacket, Sue! I pushed myself out and forward through the open screen, until I was inside Sue's body. She was right, the smell was awful. I fought to focus enough to take action. The next few seconds slowed to a snail's pace.

I threw back her arms, and she let me. The coat slipped off her, pausing only briefly as one cuff caught on her watch, before she was racing forward toward the balcony once more. The spider didn't even break stride. It increased its speed, and I did the same for Sue. I struggled to keep her mind on running. But her body was only human and it was wearing down. I pushed more magic into her and hoped the cost to her wouldn't be too high. Faster and faster I forced her to race forward as I increased my own speed to intercept them. My arms were pumping hard and I was struggling to take in enough air as I pushed my body to go even faster. I reached them just as they passed, and then turned to follow.

"Get ready!" I shouted, even though I couldn't see Lucas behind the wall. I hoped he was still conscious, or this would end badly. The sound echoed off the high ceiling. It blended and split into a thousand voices that surrounded us and encouraged me, pushing me to my limit.

"MOVE!" I ordered Sue as I leapt into the air toward the spider. Sue turned at high speed toward the spider's right— and the wounded legs. The spider couldn't pivot quickly enough to grab Sue, but it saw me coming and kept running forward. It wouldn't be fast enough to escape its fate.

I was suddenly under it, firing bullets the full length of the spider's body. The ancient wood floor underneath creaked and groaned as I slid. Splinters and chunks of wood embedded themselves in my back, legs and scalp, while blood and stinging fluid covered my exposed face from the bullet wounds. When the guns were empty, I dropped them in full slide, pulled a second pair from my waist band at lightning speed and unloaded them into the spider's chest as I passed under. I heard the explosions echo and then split as they were joined by more shots from above. I twisted and turned as bullets rained down on me. One piece of spent silver bounced off a nail, and slashed a burning line across my cheek. Another caught me in the bicep.

I'd done my job. I could only hope that Lucas had good aim. I crossed my arms over my chest and face and let my momentum take me out from underneath the spider just as she dropped into the mist. I spun out of control and hit a huge pile of rusting equipment and crates against the wall. I lost track of the number of cuts, bruises and punctures I collected as I came to a screaming, crashing halt. Thankfully, mercifully, I blacked out.

« ^

I woke to pain. I heard movement, felt the debris shift as someone dug through it towards me. I panicked. Was it the spider? I couldn't smell anything and couldn't move no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't seem to wake up completely.

Bobby's voice made me let loose a breath I hadn't even known I was holding. "Hang on, Tony! We'll get you out of there."

Grunting with strain he managed to move a chunk of metal the size of a car that was holding down my right arm. Sue was helping him move smaller pieces away. I could feel cuts healing and bones mending like time-lapse.

She touched my face with cool dusty fingers. It felt nice and I leaned into her touch. I would have done more, but my head was all I could move presently.

"Tony! Oh thank God, I was so worried! Lucas kept shooting and the bullets kept hitting you! I was terrified I was going to lose you. I don't care if you want to watch me cook, or sit in the bath, or want me around every minute of the day! Tony? Tony! Please say something!"

They redoubled their speed in moving metal and wood off of me. I'd been in this bad a shape once or twice in my life and survived— eventually. We may have won, but not without cost.

I could taste blood and too many body parts didn't have enough feeling. I opened my eyes slowly and saw Sue's worried face brighten. "How's Lucas?" I rasped, and then burst into a fit of coughing. I immediately regretted it since I seemed to have broken most of my ribs.

Bobby glanced around. "I don't know. Where is he?"

I pointed up to the balcony. "He got bit by the spider. He might not have made it." Bobby swore and bolted for the stairs. Sue helped me carefully to my feet. We staggering behind him with all the speed of a three-legged turtle. I couldn't share her thoughts— she'd shut me out to protect herself from my injuries, but there was no mistaking her sob of anguish when she first caught sight of the fallen man. Lucas looked a lot worse than when I left him, but he was still breathing. The black had spread to his chest and arm, and a line of black was even crawling up his jaw.

"We have to get him out of here," Bobby said with feeling. "The girls are already in the van." It had been Bobby moving the cocoons. That explained the sticky webbing that covered most of his battered body.

I flinched first when I tried to bend over— and again after I reached under Lucas's legs. The flesh on the wounded one was squishy, like holding a plastic sandwich bag full of mush. Bobby had a similar reaction when he grasped his shoulders. I raised my brows significantly. "Do you think we can move him?" Bobby took a deep breath, looked again at his boss and friend, and nodded his head. "We have to get him to the healers— or at least try."

"Fine," I turned to Sue. "See if you can find something we can use to carry him." She nodded and limped off, slow but steady, leaving me and Bobby with Lucas.

"Are you going to be able to lift him?" Bobby asked. "I can hear you wheezing from here. You've broken some ribs. I'd heal you— but I don't have the juice."

"You worry about your end. I'll manage mine."

Sue came back dragging part of a wooden crate. Between the three of us we managed to get Lucas onto our makeshift stretcher. With Bobby holding one end, and Sue and I the other, we made our way downstairs. The fog had dissipated. A woman's petite body lay in the middle of the dark-stained wooden floor. Her head was neatly severed. I might have to come back to get it— if Babs didn't make it. If not, I'd just leave it to be disposed of by Wolven.

We walked out of the warehouse into a winter dawn, our footsteps muffled by the thick layer of snow as we fought to keep our footing on the slippery asphalt.

Asri was pale, and moving slowly, but she held open the rear doors so we could get the old wolf into the back. I winced when I looked inside. Babs was already there, looking just as bad as Lucas, if not worse. Pamela wasn't much better. I didn't know what the hell that stuff was that the spider injected, but it was going to kill them all if we didn't get help. I was amazed it hadn't already. There wasn't one of us that wouldn't need the healers. Sue was in the best shape and she'd screwed her leg up badly in that forced run. Bobby ignored all of his fears about driving in weather as he raced back to the hotel, taking his attention away only long enough to check on Asri in the mirror every few seconds. She saw him watching once and smiled tiredly. I saw him tap his fingers impatiently on the wheel as we rounded the corner and skidded to a sideways stop at the hotel's curb.

In a blur of motion Ivan, Amber, Charles and Raven moved to the rear of the van. The second the doors were open, Amber began barking orders.

Bobby and Asri held open the hotel doors as Raven and Charles took the stretcher with Lucas into the hotel. Sue and I were still staggering toward the entrance when they rushed back for Babs. Both stretchers were immediately surrounded by healers. I recognized the new one from Lucas's photo. Tatyana had finally arrived. With tears streaming down her face she poured a tube of viscous, foul smelling fluid down his throat while whispering. "Don't you dare die on me, Lucas. Don't you dare." She was glowing too brightly for me to look directly at them as she flooded magical energy into his still form.

Amber poured a similar tube of fluid down Babs' throat before lighting up like a Christmas tree. In the distance, I watched Pamela stagger into Yurgi's arms. Raven handed her a tube of the same medicine, then left the two of them to join the group that was forming around me.

"Did you get the spider, or did it get away?" Raven spoke softly, his voice calm but worried. I turned to him, looked up into his dark eyes and nodded. "It's done. You can go collect the body if you want. We left her at the warehouse."

Ivan was horrified. "You left a dissected, giant spider where humans could find it?" I thought about it. Would a swarm of police be descending on the warehouse from a "shots fired" call? I doubted it. It was a fairly secluded area. Most of the warehouses had been deserted. It had been the middle of the night. There might have been a couple of bums— but they wouldn't exactly have cell phones, and weren't likely to call the cops anyway.

"She wasn't a spider when we left, she was a woman. But you should probably go pick her up." Raven and Ivan looked at each other and then at me with a significance I didn't understand. "Did she turn back before she died?"

I shrugged. "Don't know. I was busy getting shot and colliding with a wall at the time." Raven stopped and apparently just saw my wide variety of slowly healing wounds. He walked slowly around me.

When he saw my back he gave a low whistle. "I'll need to put you under to get some of those out."

"I need to deal with a couple of things first," I answered. "Why don't you take care of Sue's leg." I left him doing just that and made my way to the lobby telephone.

I shook my head and dialed Carmine's number from memory. I wasn't surprised when he was wide awake and answered on the first ring. "Talk to me."

"I've got Babs, but she's in bad shape. They're working on her now, but she may not make it." Carmine's breath came out in a rush that wasn't quite a sob. "And the other thing?"

"It's done."

"Where are you? I… we… want to see her."

"No visitors for now." It wasn't quite a lie. Having Carmine and Linda here wouldn't do her any good— and there was no way the Sazi would let them come anyway. "I'll call you as soon as I know more."

"Do it."

"Now will you let me take care of that back?" Raven asked as I placed the phone back in its cradle and felt my legs go to rubber under me. I sank unceremoniously to the floor.

Must be in worse shape than I thought. "Right. Probably a good idea." His hand shot out in a blur of movement and the world went black.

I woke lying on my stomach in the middle of the lobby floor. Hearing came back first. Lucas had apparently come to. He was utterly astonished at being alive and was patiently listening to his wife tell him that she had never in her life wanted or expected to be grateful to Jack Simpson for anything, but that she'd almost be willing to kiss the old bastard for sending that antidote. And furthermore, that if Lucas ever pulled another stunt like this she'd kill him herself and save Jack and everyone else the bother!

Then she burst into tears.

I heard a soft chuckle far above my head. I cracked my eyes open in time to see Charles squat down beside me. "I'm pleased to see you came through this relatively unscathed. It bodes well for your future with us. I've temporarily reinstated Raven so that he can handle the security for the remainder of the meeting. You're going to be busy. We only have two weeks to get you trained to use your gifts." I started to open my mouth to ask what he meant, but he silenced me with an impatient gesture. He looked like he had been through a wringer, so I kept silent. He sighed. "It's unfortunate that we moved this meeting to Chicago and invited the seers in order to get to know you, only to have the plan completely upended. For now, Ivan will debrief you. Then you can return to your apartment. Aspen will come by there in the morning to begin your lessons."

He was gone before I could comment, but I had to wonder what was happening in two weeks. I would have to find him and ask— just as soon as I could stand.

A moment later, Sue knelt beside me. Her eyes widened as she watched another drama unfolding a few feet away.

"I'm fine!" Asri hissed. "The healers are needed for the sick and injured. I'm neither!" Bobby's face was tight and fearful. "But you were injected with the venom— in the stomach… How do you know what damage it might do?"

"I would know, Robart. It is my body! I am not some mammal… "

She was so intent on the conversation that she didn't see Nikoli walk up. "Have you been checked by a healer, Asri?"

She turned in shock and he raised bushy eyebrows.

"Alpha… it's… I'm fine. Truly I am."

Nikoli snorted into his beard. "And you have suddenly transformed into a healer in these past hours? I think not!" He pointed to Raven. "You will go to the wolf and be checked. You must be certain there is no damage to the children. You must not guess."

Asri's jaw dropped open and Bobby moved back from them, a bit flinchy. I raised my brows and held a finger up to stop Sue from speaking. She'd noticed I was awake and her lips had opened a bit. I needed to hear this conversation. I hoped that Nikoli wouldn't go off the deep end, but it might get rough. Nikoli didn't wait for words to come out of Asri's moving but silent jaws. His brow furrowed and his eyes flashed. "I have a nose, Asri. I occasionally use it, even when I might not seem to." His voice wavered for a moment at the end. But then he cleared his throat and straightened his back. "If for no other reason than the fact that I have protected you and housed you all of these years, you will tell me the truth now. Do you love him?"

Asri glanced at Bobby and looked lost for a moment. But then she turned back to Nikoli. "I am yours to command, Alpha."

I watched Bobby's eyes close and his big hands clench into fists. Nikoli noticed. He crossed his arms over his chest firmly and he settled his stance. "Then I command you, Asri— reveal your heart. Do you love him?" Asri looked at Nikoli for a long moment with tears sparkling in her eyes, but finally dropped her head. Nikoli nodded slowly. His voice cracked a bit. "And of course he loves you. He would be a fool not to. Agent Mbutu is many things, but he is not a fool."

Asri reached up and put a hand on his jacket. "Nikoli… I… "

He looked at her and his face softened. He turned his eyes to Bobby, who was trying hard to stay neutral, but wasn't succeeding well. Nikoli uncrossed his arms and pointed at the dark man. "You will be good to her, and the children. Or you will answer to me."

Bobby got over his initial shock, and nodded strongly.

Asri looked at the pair with panic. "But my home is here. I cannot leave! Who will enforce the rules? Who will you confide in?"

Nikoli shook his head and put his large hands on her trembling shoulders. "You must do what is best for your children, Asri. I can enforce my own rules for a time and keep my own confidences. But your little ones will not be able to abide the cold. Go back to Komodo for now, be with your mate and raise your children. You may return whenever you wish. You will always have a home in this pack." He turned and walked away from them. Bobby hesitated for a moment as Asri watched Nikoli leave, but he finally rested a soft hand on her shoulder. She twisted her head with tears rolling and then turned and threw herself against him, sobbing. He held her close and let her cry.

Yurgi walked up to me, smiling. "You have saved my Pamela, Tony! I have no way to repay you for this gift to me." He reached down to shake my hand, but instead pressed a small red velvet box into my hand without Sue noticing. "Is very nice," he whispered. "I have friend at shop downtown and he gives me good price." I smiled and nodded as he walked away.

Sue turned to me, trying to allow Bobby and Asri as much privacy as the lobby would afford. Her voice was soft, timid, but she held her head high as she spoke. "Are you mad at me?" I tried to look stern, but probably failed. "You mean for leaving your cover? For playing bait to that… thing and scaring the living daylights out of me?"

She nodded with her head lowered. "Yes, that." Sue looked up at me with determination in her face. "But you couldn't have done it, Tony! Not by yourself. I want to be more to you than just something else you have to protect. I'm going to be your partner!"

I raised my brows.

Her face got a startled expression, as though she just realized what she'd demanded. "I mean… if… if that's okay. You said an equal."

I couldn't hold up the act. I laughed and pulled her into my arms. "Hell yes, it's okay! It's what I've always wanted you to be— smart and sexy and a very dangerous woman. We'll just have to toughen you up a bit. Do you have any idea how proud I am of you? Any idea at all?"

I grabbed her hand and put the small box into it. "Merry Christmas, Sue. I know it's early, but it seems the right time. It's not everything I want to give you, but it's all I have for now." I was leaning in to kiss her when I heard Lucas's voice behind me.