Chapter Nineteen
Bear came out of her room wearing body armor with a plate carrier vest that she’d had specially made to fit her.
She wore her motorcycle leathers, had a short, heavy club hanging from her belt, and carried a round shield made of what looked like a slab of bronze that might have been made in ancient Sparta.
“No guns?” I asked her.
She opened up her jacket. Several spheres and cylinders, grenades, hung from the inside.
“Girl knows how to party,” I said.
“If it goes right, it’s mostly for show, anyway,” she said.
“Yeah. But my plans don’t ever go right,” I said. “Sometimes, I get a generally correct direction.”
“We’ll see,” she said.
We went upstairs and found Tripp coming down the stairs from the second level, where the infirmary was.
“He woke up long enough to eat some chicken soup and passed out again,” Tripp said.
He was wearing Fitz’s overlarge motorcycle leathers.
They’d been covered with protection spells like mine, though Fitz’s weren’t quite as potent.
They fit Tripp quite well. He carried an aluminum baseball bat.
“That Mortimer guy is staying with Fitz.”
I nodded. “You sure you don’t want a gun?” I asked him.
“I barely know which way to point them,” Tripp said. He looked a little pale.
“Just stay behind Bear,” I said.
Bear looked askance at Tripp. “Here’s where we see who you are, Mr. Gregory,” she said quietly.
“I told you,” he said. “I’m going through with this.”
“Everyone has a plan until they’re bleeding,” the Valkyrie said with a cheerful grin. “We’ll soon know.”
“Get the car,” I said.
“Sure,” Bear drawled.
And in moments, we were on our way.
Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary was on the north end of the city proper, an outthrusting promontory of land sticking out into Lake Michigan like a sore thumb.
It was mostly long grass with occasional patches of trees and thick undergrowth.
Dirt trails snaked through the place, between wide concrete paths that stretched through some of the thickest treed areas and along the shoreline of the lake.
The place had once had a reputation for being an anonymous hookup spot for gay culture, though that had faded over recent years. Maybe people were becoming more tolerant. Or maybe dating apps on phones were simpler.
The plan was for us to come in from the southern side of the park, on the concrete walk along the lakeshore.
Estevez and two of his guys were supposed to come in from the north side, and we’d meet in the middle at two AM.
The park wasn’t open then, but neither Estevez nor we were particularly uncomfortable coloring outside the lines.
I’d hexed a couple of security cameras to uselessness.
Bear had calmly broken a chain on a gate with a quick motion of just her forearms. Then we went in.
There was low cloud cover overhead, threatening rain.
That could prove to be a problem for me, if it came down in a sudden deluge—that much running water would erode any use of magical power.
But so far, it had held itself back to occasional droplets.
The lights of Chicago reflected from the low cloud cover and gave the whole place a dim, ghostly werelight, though the shadows stretched long and the lake itself was a vast, black susurration of wind and lapping waves on our right as we moved down the concrete walkway.
Very distantly spaced streetlamps overhung the walkway, casting pools of grungy orangish light that only made the darkness outside them that much more shadowed.
We’d been walking slowly forward for about five minutes when Bear’s bright eyes narrowed and she said, “They’re here. Just past the next streetlamp.”
My magical senses twigged to the presence of the Lurker a heartbeat later, my hackles rising.
“Emilio’s there.” I closed my eyes for a moment, focusing on my senses, pushing my supernatural awareness out.
I could feel more of the hideous presence of the Lurker, way out at the edge of my senses.
The tree line was maybe thirty yards off.
That’s where they’d be. “More,” I said quietly. “In the trees.”
Tripp swallowed audibly and gripped his bat. “How many?”
“Can’t tell,” I growled. “It’s all kind of one big thing.”
Up ahead of us, Estevez and Emilio stepped into the light at the base of the streetlamp. Both were dragging a pair of wheeled suitcases behind them. They let go of the suitcases, and Estevez waved a cheerful hand in our direction.
“Dresden!” he called. “I know you’re out there! We’re ready!”
“Bear,” I said gently. The lapping of the waves against the base of the concrete walk would cover any quiet sounds. “You ready for this?”
Bear settled the shield a little more comfortably on her left arm and stepped close to Tripp. “Just be careful.”
“Why start now?” I muttered.
And I started walking forward.
I let my staff rap on the ground with every other step. Estevez didn’t react to me, but Emilio did. The smaller man was getting wired tighter and tighter as I came forward. I stepped into the other edge of the streetlamp’s light and stood facing the pair of them from twenty feet away.
“That’s the money?” I asked.
“You were correct, of course,” Estevez said calmly. “I must pay off the bet or I will not be able to carry on business.” He gestured at the suitcases. “This is the money.”
“Show me,” I said quietly.
Estevez nodded at his bodyguard. Emilio laid one of the suitcases down with a grunt of effort and then opened it.
It was stacked up with Benjamins. A whole lot of them.
He picked out one stack, seemingly at random, and flipped through it, showing me the bills. The number 100 repeated over and over.
“Super,” I said. “You guys can go now.”
“Ah,” Estevez said. “But I have not seen you with Mr. Gregory. I have no way of being certain you are his representative. I stand to lose even more from being swindled out of the money than I do from not paying it.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Reasonable.”
I raised a hand and crooked my first two fingers.
Bear and Tripp came forward, into the light.
“Tripp,” Estevez said easily. “You’re a resourceful sort of man, aren’t you.”
“Sometimes,” Tripp said. He held the bat low by his leg, knuckles white as he gripped it.
“I thought I would make you an offer, Tripp,” Estevez said.
I traded a quick glance with Bear.
This hadn’t been part of the plan.
Tripp licked his lips. He was scared. But his voice was steady. “Like what?”
“Walk away,” Estevez said. “And I won’t place calls to St. Louis to let them know that you are alive and where to find you.”
Tripp went pale.
“I, uh,” he said. “I need the money, man. It’s going to help a bunch of kids.”
And keep me from getting in trouble with the IRS, among other things.
“Ah,” Estevez said. “That’s how you convinced Dresden to help you. Though, honestly, I’m surprised he fell for your con. He seems cagier than that.”
Tripp was silent for a minute. Then he said, quietly, “It isn’t a con.”
“Of course it is,” Estevez said. “You are what you are, Mr. Gregory. A small-minded petty criminal who looks out for himself first. That’s why you’re alive.
” Estevez smirked. “Now. Be smart, Tripp. Walk away, and you can have your life back. I won’t say a thing to St. Louis.
” He reached out, seized one of the suitcases, and sent it rolling a few feet past him, toward Tripp.
“In fact, as a gesture of goodwill, take one. It’s your original bet and some extra besides.
And it’s all in cash. You can go find a nice spot somewhere sunny.
Settle down. Buy women. Live the good life.
In fact, you’ll find travel documents inside that will allow you to leave the country, should you wish it.
You can start over. Leave your past behind.
I’d recommend Thailand, perhaps India. The money could easily last a lifetime there. ”
Tripp tilted his head slightly to one side. “Why are you offering me a deal?”
“I am foremost a businessman,” Estevez said. “I merely seek to maximize profit.”
Emilio let out a little snicker.
Tripp stared at the suitcase for a moment. He licked his lips.
I could practically feel him straining not to step forward and take it.
Then he did take a step. And another.
“Tripp,” I said quietly.
He reached out with one foot and shoved the suitcase back toward Estevez. “I won fair and square. I came for my winnings.”
“Pay up,” Emilio said smugly to his boss.
Estevez sighed, produced a dollar bill from his pocket, and passed it over to Emilio without looking away from us. “I’m something of an idealist,” he admitted. “I had hoped reason would prevail.”
“Tripp’s here,” I said firmly. “You know he’s with us. Now you can leave.”
“No, Dresden,” Estevez said regretfully. “That was never an option.”
Emilio smiled, wide and weird.
“Now, Dresden,” he purred. “My offer for you.”
I narrowed my eyes.
Emilio didn’t move or gesture, but … things came out of the dark, from the woods, pausing on the low slope above us.
There were half a dozen of them. Quadrupeds, mostly.
Claws, hairless grey skin. Long muzzles with oversized canines.
Baboons? Yeah, some kind of large baboon, I thought.
They paused on the little hillside, eyes bulging too wide for their sockets.
I could feel the demon’s energy inside them, making me feel sick.
Yeah. I’d had it up to here with this Lurker.
“There were only supposed to be three of you,” I said quietly.
“There are only three of us,” Emilio replied. “My director, myself—and the Lurker. Hear me out.”
“Okay,” I said. “What do you have in mind, Emilio?”
“Come with us,” Emilio said. “Let the Lurker in. And we will allow Mr. Gregory and the woman to live.”
I pursed my lips. “What makes you think I can’t manage that on my own?”
“I can put your power in check,” Emilio said. “Long enough for the Lurker and my director to put an end to the two of them. You may be able to fight your way free—but they will certainly not. The Lurker will have their blood. And after, you will be its exclusive focus.”
Estevez murmured, “As an additional incentive, you may take the money, Dresden. My investigations into your home, such as it is, have revealed that you are running short of funds. Ten million dollars will ensure your home and security.”
“Wait, what?” Tripp blurted. He looked at me, terrified.
I got it.
An offer like that had been temptation from the heart of Hell for him. And Tripp was the only thing he had to judge others by.
I looked at him and winked.
“Dresden?” Emilio demanded. “What is your answer?”
I’d been holding my blasting rod up the right sleeve of my leather duster. I let it fall into my hand, raised it, pointed it at Emilio, and screamed, “Fuego!”
Fire erupted from the tip of the rod, screaming as random raindrops vaporized instantly to steam, and streaked toward the other wizard.
I’d hoped the sucker punch would get through, but I’d been right about Emilio’s experience. He rolled with the magical blow, gathered up the fire in true wizard fashion, and sent it flashing back—toward Tripp.
Bear was already in motion, flicking something out of one hand toward the possessed baboons, and was there in an instant, bringing the huge bronze shield around to cover Tripp.
The fire smashed against it, the metal ringing like a bell, flames rolling across and rebounding off it into the air in a dozen different colors as the shield shone like the sun.
Estevez produced a pair of pistols from behind his back, whipping them toward me. I raised my shield bracelet and staff alike as shots rang out, and I caught them on the glowing blue half-dome of the shield, sending them bouncing off it and into the air.
The possessed baboons screamed and came bounding forward with supernatural speed.
Half a second later, there was an enormous thumping, crunching sound, and a flash of light and animal screams erupted into the night.
One of the baboons curled up and crumpled into an uncontrolled roll, but the other five kept coming forward, straight at Bear and Tripp.
I dropped the blasting rod, dipped my right hand into my pocket, and whipped out one of several enchanted handkerchiefs—the ones in which I had captured pure, natural sunlight.
I raised it over my head and flicked the handkerchief open, and light exploded through the dark like an enormous camera flash as I unleashed honest-to-God daylight through the rainy evening.
Emilio and the baboons screamed. He threw his hands up to his eyes in sudden agony, staggering to one knee. The baboons howled, their rush faltering, leaps ending in crashing tumbles as they tried to shield their eyes too.
Estevez wasn’t a dummy. He recognized the most serious threat and kept firing at me, forcing me to split my attention. I tried to reach for my blasting rod, and he put a bullet into the concrete an inch from my hand, sending the rod spinning and skittering twenty feet away.
Bear let out a war cry, raising the short club from her belt, and waded toward the baboons as they began to stagger back to their feet.
A long, swooping blow of the metal club met with one of the baboon’s skulls with a wet crunching sound and sent the beast into a tumble that ended in a hideously still heap.
The others rose to their feet and swarmed the Valkyrie, and in less than a second, she was fighting for her life against things far, far too strong for their size and too fast to be easily tracked.
When even normal animals fight, it’s a blur.
Seriously. Humans just aren’t built to be quick enough to follow what is going on.
The possessed things were far, far faster than normal animals.
Tripp saw what was happening to Bear and turned to her with a cry, raising his bat.
Estevez saw Tripp standing there, his back uncovered, and tracked him with the barrel of one of his pistols.
I went for my revolver, but it was a big, heavy gun, and I was no gunfighter.
Estevez fired.
There was a thunking slap of impact, and Tripp fell to the concrete like a wet burlap bag.