How strong is that drink?Marcus asked.
It would start a wet log on fire.
Marcus laughed to himself. Titus had never forgiven him for pouring good scotch on a stack of wood to fuel a warming blaze two hundred years ago.You’ve got to let that go.
Find me my mate and I’ll never mention it again.
Marcus automatically looked for Carina. She was out on the dance floor where he’d last seen her, making new friends and having a blast. When he checked again, their visitor had left hisposition against the wall. Marcus spotted him trailing behind the enticing Margarita as she beckoned him to the dance floor. Their spy tossed back the last of his drink and set it down on a table as he followed her into the jumble of gyrating bodies.
The tall man glanced around when he wasn’t face-to-face with the new woman in his life. Marcus appreciated his ability to multitask or at least do the smallest amount of scouting possible. He kept his eye on the spy throughout the evening in case this new infatuation was a ploy to hide his true priority.
At closing time, the young man conveniently took half an hour to say goodbye to his new love before heading for his vehicle. By that point, the building was empty except for the cleaning crew and several key staff members. Carina had settled into Darius’s office with him as they reconciled the evening’s accounts. Darius would protect her while he casually built a rationale for Carina to come work with him. Nightfall’s finance guy had confidence the numbers would woo her into switching jobs.
Marcus headed for the stairs automatically, shunning the elevator. Titus and Bram met him in the underground parking lot. They piled in and set off.
The black Mercedes Maybach glided smoothly through the late-evening darkness. The luxury vehicle smoothly navigated in the city traffic, drawing the attention of a few drivers. Marcus guessed they were car buffs who recognized the value of the rare, elite sedan as they passed.
Marcus had selected this vehicle carefully from the fleet of cars belonging to the clan. Its deeply tinted windows gave no hint of the occupants while providing plenty of room for himself, Bram, and Titus to move as needed. He maintained a healthy distance from the Cadillac Escalade they were trailing. Their spy had retrieved his car from a lot a block over.
Marcus’s eyes constantly roamed from side to side to assess for threats as he drove the car deeper into the heart of the city’s east side. This was the territory of the local mafia. While navigating in this area was not to be taken lightly by average citizens, Marcus’s only concern was to avoid attracting the attention of the local authorities.
In the front passenger seat, Bram finished clicking on his laptop. “I have control of the Escalade and am downloading its data. Do you want to stop it here?”
“No,” Marcus’s voice reverberated like a low, menacing growl. “We’ve already tried making someone an object lesson for his boss. Whoever is in charge hasn’t chosen to heed that warning. It’s time to talk to the boss directly. Chances are that’s where this guy is heading and who he’s meeting. We’ll let our spy make his report. I want to make sure our message is clear.”
Titus leaned forward from the backseat and gestured at the scene ahead through the windshield. “It looks like this is the place. They’re pulling over.”
Ahead, the Escalade parked in front of a nondescript, four-story office building. Its bland gray exterior blended into the background of the deserted city street, giving no hint of the violent men who operated the organization inside. Marcus noticed even the homeless avoided this area.
From a distance, the vampire’s enhanced vision easily spotted his target emerging from the vehicle. Gone was the confident swagger the spy had shown while pursuing the attractive party girl. His tense body language screamed discomfort with his mission. When a guard stepped forward into the light, the tall guy nodded and scurried inside. The patrolling man paused and lit a cigarette, unaware that anyone observed him.
Marcus shook his head as he parked the Maybach a couple of blocks away. “Our spy is worried about the report he has to deliver, and this guy has gotten sloppy.”
Bram focused back on the screen and tapped furiously. “I have locked all the cameras, security, phones and cell signals in the building. You’re good to go. That makes our job easier.”
Marcus rolled his neck and shoulders before opening the door and disappearing into the shadows. Titus did the same and gave Marcus a slight nod and sent, Try not to slow me down too much, old guy.
I’ll do my best, asshole.
Advancing with supernatural speed, Marcus raced through the shadows to wrap his arms around the driver. With a flick of his wrist, Marcus broke the man’s neck before stowing him neatly in the driver’s seat with a blur of motion that prevented anyone from following his movements. Marcus smirked as he shut the car door when the lit cigarette struck the pavement.So much for slowing down as I get older.
Titus’s laughter filled his mind as he stepped on the glowing tip.Show-off. I guess he didn’t guess these things would kill him.
Bram mentally reached out to the duo, interrupting Marcus’s response to the jokester. Instantly, Marcus and Titus blended back into the shadows as they listened.
I’ve hacked into the rear camera feed. Two men are positioned behind the building vaping. Nice of them to take a break so you can pick them off quickly. Don’t they realize the chemicals in those are as dangerous? The rear door is clear beyond them.
So many bad habits. Shows a lack of discipline from above.Marcus pointed out.
We all have our vices,replied Titus as he motioned to the alleyway next to the building.After you.
They silently moved down the shadow-filled alley, following the sweet aroma. As Marcus walked, he drew his preferred weapon. The short sword slid from a sheath at his spine to fill his hand with a familiar weight. He didn’t need his vampiric senses to lead them to the men standing in the gloom. The chemical smell of vapor polluted the space over their heads.
One man stood with his back to the entrance of the alley while the other leaned against the door. Preoccupied with scrolling through their phones between puffs, they didn’t appear to have a care in the world. They were wrong.
In an instant, Marcus surged forward and thrust his sword through the man’s back before him. The finely edged blade slid deftly between his target’s ribs and through his heart. Using his weapon as a handle, Marcus pushed the man to the side, clearing a path so Titus could slip by.
Titus gripped the other man at the door by the neck before he could react and twisted it sharply, turning the man’s head completely around. The sound of the bones snapping echoed against the hard surfaces of the bricks. As Titus released the body to fall to the ground, Marcus noted the victim’s eyes widened, reacting from nerve impulses triggered before his death. Now, that was slow.
