The Blood Eagle in the Big Easy (11 page)

Tony took a deep breath as he ran his hand over the top of his head as he grumbled. “Thanks for the visual.” He gritted his teeth as he glared at me before continuing. “She advanced unchallenged to the nurses station around the corner where two more guards tried to subdue her only to have their stomachs ripped open and their intestines spilled on the floor for their trouble.” Stepping forward he grabbed one of the handles and opened the front door as he made his way through the carnage. “She stopped long enough to add insult to injury by kicking each of them a few times as they lay dying before making her way to the doc’s office.”

“I take it the others got the hint not to get in her way?” Kira asked soberly.

Looking back over his shoulder Tony nodded. “Yeah they took the hint. Once she was here she tried the door and found it locked, she kicked it so hard she removed the door frame and all.” Tony stopped short at the nurses station. “If disembowelment weren’t strange enough not only did she abscond with our victim but she left you a present.” Stopping and turning to look at me for the first time since we entered his face was dark and stormy as rage and anger welled up inside him. “He looks like the man in the photo the Marshals put out this morning in connection with the murder in City Park.”

I was starting to see what he meant by complicated but it was hardly the time to start looking like I didn’t have a clue what was going on. “After we see him I’ll be able to confirm his identity. Where is he?”

“They have him in a private room. Two of the doctors are attending to his wounds.” Tony replied.

“Is he badly injured?” I asked. It was hardly a surprise he was hurt but I was hoping he knew something that would help us track down the witch.

“Tortured is more accurate, and he won’t speak to anyone but you. We removed one of your business cards that had been wrapped in plastic and sewn into the flesh on his chest.” Tony grimaced as he tried not to look sick. “Looks like he was beat and cut on for several hours before that.”

“I guess I should get to him then.” I said as I gestured for Tony to lead the way.

“Look before we go any further, I want to go on the record that if the Marshals want this case they can have it. My guys and I would love to opt out of this particular nightmare if at all possible.” He looked tired and his eyes spoke of a weariness I hadn’t seen in him before. This was just one case too many for him and he really needed to unload it. “We have a serial murderer involving male prostitutes that’s bad enough. I don’t think we need to get involved with both the City Park murder and what has happened here if it can be helped.”

“From the sounds of things this and the case in City park are connected so we might be able to lighten your workload at least a little.” Standing next to the nurses station I took in the brutality of the attacks. Someone was clearly enjoying themselves. “As soon as Deputy Aaron arrives you guys can hash it all out! Sound fair?”

He relaxed and the tension in his face slipped away as he drew comfort in the fact he could be free of at least one nightmare. “Deal.” He moved past the nurses station, made a left and opened the door. “The person you are looking for is in here.” Tony touched his earbud. “If you will excuse me it seems that Mr. Aaron just arrived and I would like to work this ASAP.”

“Thanks Tony.” I said.

Tony nodded and walked back around the corner and vanished from sight. Kira and I stepped in the room with our two guards in tow, one of which closed the door behind us. To my surprise I recognized Nicholas almost instantly as Helena’s son. He had of course filled out into a well proportioned adult, probably around six foot seven or eight with two hundred and fifty pounds of pure muscle, shoulder length blonde hair with the classic good looks of a swedish male model. He reminded me of a buff version of Eric Northman from the television show True Blood, played by Alexander Skarsgard.

“You have grown since we last saw each other.” Putting my hand on the nurses shoulder I was able to convey to her that her services weren’t needed at the moment. She reluctantly scurried away after giving me more than a few dirty looks as she crossed the room. “Other than the obvious how are you Nicholas?”

Nicholas’ face was a mixture of pain, anger and disappointment. “You said we would be safe from all this! You said we wouldn’t have to worry about them finding us.” His deep voice shook with anger and sadness, wincing as he sat up in bed he glared at me. “You promised this wouldn’t happen.”

Putting a gentle hand on his shoulder I tried to calm him. “You were so young at the time you probably don’t remember when I told your mother that the protection only went as far as the Alabama state lines.” He was angry and alone, two things that I knew far too much about. I understood better than most the feeling of loss of losing a loved one. “Once she crossed the state line that protection crumbled and vanished. I am sorry, truly I am. If she had only called one of us before things got this far out of hand.”

He choked out the next words. “She was so sick, it had been so long, she thought it would be okay.” His face hardened. “I begged her to call you! I did! She told me she didn’t want to be a bother.” Tears fell in a steady stream down his cheeks. “Why did she have to be so stubborn?”

“I don’t know. I wish I had answers for you but I don’t...” I heard the door open as Gregory, Tony and three NOPD officers entered the room. Kira and my security team were quick to stand between the newcomers and my conversation with Nicholas as I turned to address them. “We haven’t had time to finish our talk. If you will give us a few more minutes I am sure he will be up to answering whatever questions you might have. Isn’t that right Nick?”

He lay back in bed as he shrugged, seeming not to care what happened next. Suddenly he looked up at me. “I was told to give you a message by the woman who brought me here.”

Turning back to Nick I gave the boy my full attention. “Nicholas, I want you to take yout time and concentrate, and slowly tell me exactly what that psychopath said to you?”

Nicholas’ voice was grave and shook with anger and hatred dripping off every word. “She said to tell you, she knows your true name!” He stopped and looked at me pleadingly not wanting to continue. “She said she’s coming for you soon and she wants to see you suffer.” He bowed his head and sniffed loudly. “She instructed me to tell you she wants to finish what she started all those years ago.” Anger welled up inside him as rage filled his voice as he lost himself to the memory of his encounter. “She wanted me to tell you her name was Gullveig the Witch and she is coming for her pound of flesh...”

I felt weak as the room spun out of control. My vision swam as darkness flooded in on all sides causing me to lose my footing. My body convulsed and tighten as I fell back slamming into the floor rigid and gasping for air. Darkness enveloped me at last and I sank into her warm embrace...

My eyes watered and I gasped for breath as I ducked low trying to avoid the acrid smoke and fumes from filling my lungs. The aircraft was doomed to crash and there was nothing I could do to change that fact. The fuselage was leaking and the cockpit having been damaged earlier by gunfire was about as useful as a Light Bright. Gullveig had escaped her containment chamber and as if on cue the murderous bitch had tried to put a few bullets in my skull. Huge surprise the extremely violent, angry little hag chose now of all times to try and settle an old score. God I wish they made smarter criminals.

Over the years many tried to bring her to justice only to be sent home in a body bag or found displayed in some act of cruelty. She rejoiced in the most vile acts of man and reveled in the blood spilled during the most heinous acts of violence. It was hard to believe she had once been a trusted ally but that was long ago. It had take me the better part of two years of hard work and determination to capture her but in the end I’d done it. She was to stand trial for her crimes but the plans had changed at the last moment with the attack on our homeworld. She was summarily tried and convicted and my last duty was to drop her off at her new home, The Pit, before proceeding to the rendezvous point with the rest of my people. 

The Pit was a prison so secret that only a few knew of its existence. My grandfather created the place deep within the core of the planet for criminals so vile that placing them with other prisoners would be cruel and unusual punishment for the other inmates. Once you were placed in The Pit, you never left. There were no cells and no guards just a wide expanse where the laws of reality rarely applied. The prisoners governed themselves and on a few occasions everyone in the Pit had died at each others hands, leaving nothing but a vast expanse.

Gullveig knew of its existence and from what I could tell she didn’t have any intention of making it to the prison. One way or another she would find a way out of her punishment. We were about to crash but she did nothing to try to save herself and everything in her power to ensure that we were both going to die here today. The alarm for the rear hatch sounded as it opened. As I made my way to the rear of the craft the air thinned and grew colder. We were barely within the atmosphere and what little precious oxygen we had was being quickly sucked out. I opened the bulkhead door and the roar of the wind whipped around me pulling me towards the open bay doors. The bitter cold winds filled my lungs making it hard to breath, the pain almost unbearable. I stopped to look around the empty bay and focused my will, my shields erupting around me, keeping me safe from the elements and more importantly holding onto what precious oxygen I had left.

My jacket settled down as the wind no longer lapped at me but instead seemed to bend around me, allowing me to move quickly and quietly around to the control panel of the cargo bay. It appeared that I was alone. Not seeing anyone else I turned to shut the bay doors. As I reached out to press the close button I was slammed face first into the hull’s metal wall. Even with my shields at full strength my head reeled from the impact.

I felt Gullveig lean against me as she whispered in my ear. “I knew you would rather see us both die in the crash rather than allow me to escape.” She shoved my face against the wall again, pain exploding in my head as I both heard and felt my nose shatter. “I want you to die knowing you failed!” She whispered as she licked the side of my face. “I want you to know before you take your last breath that it is your fault that every man, woman and child will die at my hands.” She laughed as only the truly insane can. “You, and you alone have unleashed me into their midsts. They will suffer and die at my hands! I want you to suffer too!” Gullveig hissed.

Anger erupted inside me, I threw my elbow back with all my strength, shattering her nose causing her to stumble back. I kicked in a wide roundhouse shattering her jaw and sending her sprawling across the floor. The aircraft suddenly lurched to one side causing her to slide out the bay doors. She lashed out with her silver cane, shaped like a skeletal version of an arm with claw like fingers forever arched in pain. The fingers caught the lip of the bay as she dangled precariously through the opening. Instinctively I reached out for her as she glared at me and spat a curse in my direction.

The head of the cane glowed white and as if in slow motion I watched as a brilliant white ball floated towards me. I felt it wrap around my shields. The white ball slowed and I screamed in pain as the air around me burned my flesh and evaporated what little oxygen I had left. Almost as quickly as the burns appeared they vanished as my body compensated for the injuries. The floor beneath me and the wall behind me however did not as they melted away. As pieces of the wall and floor fell away, I fell with them.

As I plummeted I watched helplessly as she dangled from the aircraft, until she finally lost her grip and fell into the darkness. A few seconds later the aircraft exploded into a ball of flame as it finally gave into the inevitable. We were all doomed and even the aircraft seemed to know it. Several smaller piece of metal from the disintegrating craft were deflected by my shields but something large and black approached, too late for me to try and deflect it as it slammed into my skull. I knew that the aircraft would be scattered over thousands of miles from this height and my people would never be able to recover enough of it to know what happened.

I knew that today I would die alone in a place no one would ever find me. I didn’t know how long I’d been off course. It’s funny what goes through your mind just before you believe you’re about to die. My vision was blurry and I felt tears freeze on my face as I cried and screamed through the night. Finally I was granted darkness and the bliss of unconsciousness.  Nothingness was all that I would know, and for the first time in my life I was okay with that. I had done my job and the witch would fare no better than I. She too would perish. It was a good day to die...

With a sharp intake of breath I woke with a start to see Kira’s face hovering over me in concern. I closed my eyes as I tried to focus and remember what was going on.

“Are you alright?” I heard Kira ask. “Do you know your name?” She persisted.

“Oh for gods sake Kira will you get out of my face?” I grumbled. “I would like to catch my breath.”

Kira sat back allowing me to sit up. “You didn’t answer my question!”

“Kira Lee Ann, give me a damn minute.” I demanded as I tried to get to my feet. My head swam and darkness nearly took me once more. Kira’s hand steadied me as I took a seat in the chair next to the bed. “Thanks.”

“Oh now you’re going to be fucking polite!” Kira snapped. “How about telling me the Goddamn date since you don’t seem to know your own name!”