“Make a few stills of that,” Bruiser said. “We can use it to our advantage.”
Last, we studied the vid of the bombing caught on the airport security cams. The bomb hadn’t been some movie version of an explosion, all slo-mo and flames. In real time, one moment there was a hangar, the next there was a view of dust and a hole in the ground. In slo-mo so slow that it amounted to still shots, we did get a few out-of-focus shots of debris flying, crumpled sheet metal, and twisted steel.
Our SUVs had barely gotten away in time. It they hadn’t been armored, the last two vehicles wouldn’t have survived.
At the end, Alex said, “We have an alphabet soup of agencies interested in this because it appears that a rocket or missile was used on the hangar. Until they tell us whether there was a guidance system, we’ll call it a rocket.”
I asked, “Casualties?”
“There were three deaths from the rocket, all human, all airport employees.”
I put down my knife and fork with hard clanks. All the faces turned to me.
Humans in my territory died on my watch, because I moved the landing site. I wondered how many would have died had we used Lakeview Airport. More? Fewer? No one? Had I made things worse? “Make sure the families are taken care of,” I said softly. “Whatever Leo used to do, plus a little something.” I frowned, thinking back. “Iremember seeing one of our guys jumping from the hangar roof. How is he?”
“She,” Bruiser said. “Sarah Spieth. Sniper.”
Sarah was being groomed to be the new head of communications. She was former military with active duty wartime experience, was insightful, and didn’t waste words.
“How bad?” I asked.
“Broken right lower leg, compound. Broken left wrist, both bones,” Alex said. “Both eardrums blown. Concussive injuries. But she made the doctors at Tulane laugh when she described what needed to be done to the people who blew her up.”
Dark humor was a good sign. I twirled my fingers at Alex to continue.
“She underwent surgery at Tulane, and although an ordinary human would stay in the hospital overnight, she will receive vamp blood at dusk, as fast as I can get someone to her. Hopefully she’ll be released afterward. Once back here, she’ll receive regular donations of vamp blood and PT until she heals fully. The Roberes sent someone to her hospital room to make sure that when the officials show up to get her statement, that’s all they do.”
“Why are we having trouble with the officials?” I asked. “Leo didn’t have this much trouble.”
“They feared Leo,” Bruiser said. “And the elections changed our sphere of influence. We lost a lot of our political supporters.”
“Hmmm. I didn’t financially support any of the political contestants in the last election. I need to set up support for both parties and make sure that, no matter who runs, I’ll have influence of some kind. Alex, do some digging into the current batch of politicos and ferret out their secrets. Everyone has skeletons.”
I stopped, my hands frozen. Forgetting to breathe.
That was not my usual kind of thought. Those were Leo’s lessons in how to run his city.
“Do some digging?” Bruiser repeated, gently, reading my mind. Reading my shock at the words that had come from my mouth.
I hated hearing Leo’s influence come out of my mouth.But if playing the political game got me what I needed to keep my people safe, I’d play all day. And I’d freaking win. I nodded, my eyes on Alex, his widened as he understood that he was being asked to use his skills to dig up dirt on politicians. He bobbed his head once, his eyes still surprised.
It wasn’t my usual use of his abilities. It was Dark Queen stuff.Dang it.
My hands had formed claws and I forcibly relaxed them. Knowing that I could come to hate myself as part of keeping my city safe, I said, “Then find out what their cities, towns, and parishes need. Get the Roberes to make overtures. Provide some assistance. Not a lot. And nothing to individuals. Maybe parks. Sidewalks. Replace a water line. Something the people need. And make sure it’s known it came from us.”
“Yes, My Queen,” Alex said, sounding mollified.
“And the donations to the homeless shelters?” I asked.
“Sent.”
I hated politics but I was getting better at them. And sometimes politics meant being able to be compassionate and do good work. I’d take it. And if there was political dirt that kept my people safe, I’d take that too.
Alex said, “The various municipal police, parish sheriff’s departments, Homeland, TSA, FAA, and ATF are trying to find where the rocket came from.
“It looks as if a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher was used. Someone found a witch circle in the woods on airport land, with the ground churned up inside. All around the circle were signs that a lot of people showed up in the woods and then disappeared like a Vegas magic act—out of thin air—at the witch circle. Law enforcement has stayed away from the circle until someone can check it out and make sure it’s no longer active. Carmen Everhart is on the way there now to make sure it’s disabled.” A faint ding sounded, and he checked his tablet. “Huh. I just heard from one of Eli’s contacts. She says the ordnance used on the hangar was U.S. military, but that’s all she can find out right now.”
Rocket launchers, bomb-carrying drones, transportcircles, death magic, and the potential of timewalkers meant no place was safe from attack. I stuffed a chunk of meat into my mouth and chewed. Thinking. I ate several more. Somehow the two-pound steak had disappeared. I dug into the mashed potatoes, bacon, cheese, and butter.Holy cow, that was good. Of course, bacon made everything good. When I swallowed enough to speak, I said, “Most of our people will be safest at HQ, under the Everhart protective ward. Once it’s up,” I amended. “Make sure anyone who wants to bunk here can.
