Part 14 (1/2)
The Weesal, a Nosferatu not by birth, lives in the sewers and under the tunnels of the City's subway system. This, as far as I know, is the only time he ventures to the surface. The disgusting odor of urine, stale bread, blood and feces radiated off my contact's body.
I watched Weesal take out a pack of cigarettes, hit it against the bar, dislodging a cigarette. He pulled it out, lit it, and I inhaled the heavenly aroma. ”The Jacquerie, Weesal.”
His mouth moved dislodging the cigarette. ”Oh no, no, no, no.” Weesal jumped up frantically looking for it.
I placed a firm hand on his shoulder, pushed him back on the stool. The young Nosferatu was so slight any more pressure would break his shoulder. He had the fragile bones of a rodent. ”Sit down before I break your scrawny a.s.s.” I calmly picked up the cigarette and handed it to the Weesal. ”I want names and addresses of hideouts and drug dens.”
”Great! A smoker,” Gauge complained.
Being a werewolf made Gauge strong as well as delicate. Smoke and certain smells made him sick. His club, or what used to be his club before Terra blew it up, was non-smoking.
”I don't mess with the Jacquerie!” Weesal shrieked.
”I'm not telling you to mess with them. Just spy on them.”
”It's gonna cost you. They could find out and kill me. You don't care about me.” He moved his head with much att.i.tude. ”I'm just Weesal, your little snitch.”
With pained tolerance, I pulled a wad of cash out of my leather jacket and waved it in front of Weesal's face. ”Smell that, Weesal. You're a valuable snitch. Five thousand now, five thousand later when you give me a list of addresses. I need the info by Thursday night.”
”T-that's twenty-four hours from now.”
I casually leaned back against the bar, anchoring my elbows on the edge and interlaced my fingers. ”Then you'd better get to work.”
”Are you really the new Enforcer?”
”That's right.”
”s.h.i.+t!” He took a jittery drag again.
Smoke billowed out from the Nosferatu's nostrils and mouth. It swirled around my nose. All I want is Ilida straddling my c.o.c.k while I smoke a cigarette.
”Yes, s.h.i.+t. If you screw me, Weesal I will take your headless body and feed it to your fellow patrons.”
Weesal visibly swallowed then took a drag of his cigarette. ”Yeah, I'll get your info.”
I handed the Weesal five thousand dollars.
”Do I have to count this?”
”Do I have to break your legs for fun?” I reached out to Weesal. He flinched like a scared rat. I pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and took a puff. The drag took me back to simpler days. ”Ah, nothing like nicotine.”
”Nothing like cop cruisers,” Gauge added sarcastically. ”We'd all better get on up out of here.”
Weesal had already darted out the back entrance.
”Let's go.”
”The bar owner is Nosferatu. How will he explain this to the police?”
”Nosferatus who choose to live on the surface have human servants who deal with the police.”
Ilida woke with a start. Sweat ran down from her forehead to her chin. She jumped out of bed, then grabbed the nearest article of clothing. As she walked past her mirror, she saw Daedalus struggling with a monster? holding a machete?
She pulled on her sweat suit and ran out of her bedroom.
”Hey! Ilida where are you going?”
”Out!”
”It's two in the morning.”
Ilida closed the door, stopping any further protests from her roommate. As she ran down the stairs, she could hear her roommate hollering for her to come back.
After we made our getaway, Gauge decided to crash at my place. Fine. I could use the company. Twenty minutes later, I parked in front of my home, annoyed. I sensed a presence in my house. I'd cast my wards last week and kept them up. How could someone barge in?
”You want me to check the back?”
”Check it,” I said as I unsheathed my sword. I ran up the stairs as Gauge jumped up the wall and climbed it until he disappeared over the roof. I opened the door slowly, quietly. The living room was dark the way I'd left it. So far, so good.
Whoever broke in was sitting in the dark waiting for me to my right.
”It's me.”
”Don't move!” I commanded the lights to come on. They did, to reveal my sword against Ilida's neck, her eyes horribly fixed on the tip of the sword. Her throat jerked trying not to move. A sudden move in the wrong direction would cut her throat. I moved the sword to the left away from her jugular and sheathed it. ”What are you doing here?” I hadn't intended to sound brusque but almost killing she frightened me.
”This will sound stupid. Like I'm stalking you, but I'm not.”
She was shaking. Dark circles hung under her eyes, making her look older than her thirty-one years. ”Try me.”
She walked to me, held both my arms. The rattling of her bones vibrated through me. Seeing her s.h.i.+ning with fear, I wanted to wipe it away. Her heart beat so that her blood roared in my ears. I can hold off the hunger for another hour. When she falls a sleep, I'll feed.
”I dreamt a-a monster came at you with a machete.”
Before I could answer, my brother, the annoying sage, walked into the living room.
”You two look cozy.”
All right, we did, but this was private. ”You stay, Ilida.” I turned to Gauge pointing my finger at him. ”You go home.”