The Blood Eagle in the Big Easy (10 page)

Lately the large crystal I had hidden away at home glowed every time I went near the thing. I don’t actually know what it is. I found the crystal in my jacket pocket all those years ago while hiding in a cave, trying to stay warm and survive, while attempting to remember who I was. After Kira discovered crystals, I retrieved the items that I’d possessed when I first woke, including the large crystal from my secured research facilities. The sudden urge to find from whence I’d came was upon me. Again I thought maybe these trinkets of my past might hold the key to the knowledge I sought.

Nearly all of the advanced technology used by my firm had been reversed engineered from these items. Some of them were so advanced that not even the most brilliant of today’s scientists could comprehend their inner workings. Several of my applied science divisions worked around the clock trying to unlock their secrets. For now they would have to be happy with the detailed scans and notes until I could find out the truth of the matter. There were two things they agreed on. First the technology was based off of some type of crystalyn fractal mathematics which allowed the items to hold untold power on a scale unheard of by today’s standard. Secondly the earth’s collective knowledge could fit in one of the smallest of the crystals they discovered. They promised me that one day they would unlock the crystals secrets and when they did the untold knowledge and power that it held would be available to whoever wielded the items. That made me less than comfortable when I thought about it for too long.

“OK, back to the subject at hand. I am betting that you would like to pay this crackpot doctor a visit sooner than later?” Kira said with a smile.

“Finally a woman who understands me!” Dr. Galvez was a flesh and blood mortal who I could do something about and not some ethereal voice from the great beyond like the one in my dream. That little fact brought a lightness to my soul.

She rolled her eyes at me. “I will pull my new car around since your’s hasn’t arrived just yet.” Something about the way she laughed worried me as she gave me a wink on her way out the door.

“You know ya love me...” I called after her.

“That’s hardly the point...” I heard her call back.

Putting my tablet away I walked across the room and grabbed my empty shoulder harness and slipped into it. After I turned and placed my thumb in a slight indentation on the counter and waited for the jab of the needle prick to occur. The computer analyzed the blood droplet that it had collected, and once completed a small section of the bookcase slid open to reveal my arsenal. I had to move a few Magpul Modular assault pistols to one side before I found what I was looking for, two Beretta special duty PX4 Storm pistols. They were small enough to easily conceal and with 45mm loads, large enough to put your victim to the floor permanently. Making sure they were loaded before securing them in their holster, I grabbed my jacket off the rack and headed for the door.

I hurried through the building and out the side door to find Kira was waiting for me in her new Hummer. Her new pink Hummer! The sheer magnitude of its pinkness stopped me dead in my tracks. As I took a closer look I could see two of my personal security officers were sitting uncomfortably in the back seat. I don’t have a problem with pink, but tacky pepto bismol pink with matching seats and bright blue fluffy fringe is just in bad taste, no matter who you are.

Kira looked at me as she rolled down the window and yelled. “Come on get in! What are you chicken or something?”

I could only imagine the look of horror on my face. This thing was repellant. “You can’t be serious. You actually paid money for this thing? No amount of goading me will make me feel any better about setting one foot inside that thing let alone riding in it! We run a security firm. Did you forget about the ‘being inconspicuous’ part of the job?”

She threw back her head and laughed. “I believe this is the perfect thing to cure that ego of yours! Now get in we got places to go.”

Hanging my head in shame as I slowly opened the door, I saw the pink and white cow spotted carpet and thought I was going to be sick. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“Buckle up buttercup because I am not paying a $180.00 ticket cause your a pussy.”

Grabbing the rhinestoned seatbelt strap I felt ill. “You could have maybe toned it down just a bit?”

“And miss the look on your face. Oh no no no no... this is worth every last penny I paid for it on ebay! OMG you actually look queasy, my life is complete!” She cackled as she turned into traffic.

“God hates it when you gloat you know.” I said callously.

“It’s a good thing that we are on such a good standing relationship with the big guy upstairs or else I would be worried. Now sit back and enjoy the ride. Oh and smile...” She said as she held up her phone and snapped a photo of me before I had time to react. This could come back to haunt me in so many ways. It’s a good thing she is family or I might have had the urge to kill her for this little stunt.

“Just drive, and just so you know, things have a way of coming around. Hell, who knows, someone might show Nora your baby photos.” I growled.

Her face suddenly froze and she looked a little ill. “You wouldn’t dare...”

“You’re joking right? You don’t know me very well then do you?” I said with a smile now that I had her full attention.

“But I like Nora and she sort of understands my crazy job and my wacko boss. I don’t think she is ready for the baby photo’s just yet. Please don’t do it. I am begging you.”

I shrugged. “That all depends on where that photo of me winds up now doesn’t it. I am happy for you and Nora though.”

She gave me her biggest sweetest innocent smiles. “Thanks pops you're the best.”

“Of course I am.” I agreed.

“You know when I say ‘you’re the best’, that just means that I am trying to get you to do what I want right?”

I smirked and said. “Child not only did I raise you but I taught you everything you know. And yes I know that’s what is happening but it’s still nice to hear once and again.” Did I forget to mention that Kira is my daughter?

Kira wheeled the giant pink Elsie the Cow Hummer off the I-10 at the Little Woods exit dumping us off onto a desolate stretch of Paris Road heading toward the lake. About half a mile later we found the first vestiges of a neighborhood on the mend. The houses in the neighborhoods closest to the lake were larger and better maintained. While waiting at the stop light on Hayne Blvd we could see the choppy dark waters of the lake as a steady north wind whipped across the jagged surface.

We were about a block away when Kira nudged me, nodding at our destination. The parking lot was filled with flashing red and blue lights. Today was turning out much worse than I’d anticipated when I woke up this morning. Pretty much everything was going to hell in a handbasket and taking me along for the ride. Taking a deep breath I pulled out my cell and hit the quick dial for Gregory to break the news to him that our best lead was smack dab in the middle of dozen or so NOPD officers.

Since the NOPD cruisers and fire trucks were blocking the entrance of the facilities parking lots, Kira pulled off onto a side street, parking on the shoulder. After a few quick words with Gregory, he assured me he was on his way and would handle the situation enroute. As I stepped out of the Elsie mobile I tucked my phone away in a jacket pocket.

Unfortunately Kira hadn’t pulled far enough down the street to be completely out of sight and we were drawing more than a few snickers from some of NOPD’s finest. Of course who could blame them, the beast was hardly subtle. If anything I had to commend them for not hurting themselves in fits of laughter or horror as the case may be. As we approached the perimeter of the crime scene tape one of the officers tried to put his game face on as he stopped us from crossing.

“I’m sorry but you folks will have to come back later.” He was tall, heavily muscled and determined to do his job. “Visiting hours should resume sometime later today or at the very latest sometime tomorrow.” Pulling out a notepad he scribbled down a number. “Here’s the number to the front desk.”

Moving slightly to one side I was able to get a better view of the chaos behind the officer. I caught sight of the head detective, Tony Costa. Tony was on the large size of the human condition. He towered some six feet six inches vertically, and not to be outdone horizontally the man’s heavily muscled frame only filled out his overly large bone structure. His shoulders were wide enough to stand on and his limbs, all of them, were the size of small tree trunks. He was former military, Marines if I remembered correctly. With his perfectly maintained flat top, which I often suspected he cut himself, and the angular jaw line he was a good looking version of Sgt Rock from the comics. Bottom line-he was a very large man.

I recalled a few years back that his brother-in-law was nearly beaten to death near the River Walk. It was all over the news when Tony brought in the men responsible. Well I guess ‘brought in’ would be a term to be used loosely in this particular case. All the men had suffered multiple injuries during the course of their arrest, but who could blame him? I had heard that he had recently been promoted to Lieutenant and had a squad of detectives that answered to him these days. Whatever was happening here was big enough to get him out of the office and into the field once again. Tony and I had worked together a few times and he had always made one thing perfectly clear. He took his job very seriously and anyone who crossed the line would find his overgrown, calloused hands there to meet them in a highly unpleasant manner.

The officer turned to see who I was looking at. “It would seem I’ve found the man I need to speak too.” I waved at Tony and he smirked when he caught sight of me, quickly excusing himself from the conversation he’d been embroiled in and made a beeline for us.

Tony put his hand on the back of the officers shoulder and said to me “It would appear that your ears were burning.” Waving at the other detectives behind him. “We were just talking about you, and for all intents and purposes it would appear I drew the short straw to have to come and talk to you.” Tony nodded at the officer who started to profusely sweat when he realized who I was and quickly made an excuse to be anywhere else.

“I’m sorry?... Did I miss something?” It was odd that the NOPD would ‘want’ to contact me about anything. Even though we worked together on occasions I wasn’t exactly popular. I would guess so unpopular it would seem that they were forced to draw straws to see who would have to deal with me. “So I take it you won the cupie doll.”

Tony laughed as he shook his head. “Hardly.”

Kira sauntered over to Tony and draped an arm around him as she laughed. “You’ll have to forgive my father. He is under the immensely mistaken impression that everyone loves him as much as I do.”

Watching the crowd of Tony’s compatriots, I found more than a few eyeing my daughter. Trying not to be annoyed I focused on Tony who seemed completely immune to her charms, either by smarts or the fact that he was happily engaged. Having men ogle your daughter is something you never get used to! It would seem that someone caught sight of my displeasure and the crowd dispersed almost as quickly as it had formed to go find less dangerous things to do. 

Tony chuckled as gave Kira a wink and a quick one armed hug before sticking one of those beefy hands out in my direction. “I like him just fine, many of us do.” I took his hand and he shook it mechanically. “The thing is, when he’s around shit just seems to get strange and complicated.” He waved his hand behind him as he spoke. “And this little shindig is hardly an exception.”

Given that the NOPD was here in such force I had already grown concerned. And Tony was right. Things always seemed to be strange and complicated in the arena’s I played in but given the sensitive nature of my work such things are hardly avoidable. “You guys wouldn’t know what to do without a little excitement in your lives.”

Tony shrugged as he turned toward the main building. “I believe I speak for everyone when I say, the type of ‘excitement’ you bring to the table all of us could easily learn to live without.”

We fell into step with the large man as he made his way through the maze of emergency vehicles. “Tomato, tamato...” I retorted. That barely garnered a smirk from Tony which meant playtime was over and it was time to get to work. “What type of bat shit crazy is on the menu today?”

Tony took a deep breath as he stopped at the front doors, turning toward me with concern etched across his face. “Well for starters it’s not only a murder investigation but a kidnapping as well.” Tony rolled his head around slightly trying to stretch the tightening muscles in his neck. “The man who runs the place and our kidnapping victim, Dr. Galvez, was in his office when this whole thing started.” Tony gestured at the interior of the building through the glass front doors as a heaviness came over him as he spoke. “According to the security cameras and eyewitness reports, a blond amazon like woman entered through these doors.” Tony gestured at the doors in front of us. “One of the security guards met her just inside there.” Tony pointed at what could only be a dead body hastily covered by a blood soaked sheet. “She didn’t even slow down as she slammed some type of clawed weapon into the man’s throat ripping it out before kicking him aside leaving him there to bleed out.”

That just sounded painful as I shifted my weight to one side to get a better view of the lobby. “He probably suffocated or drowned on his own blood well before he bled out.” I mused.