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The Vampire in the Iron Mask

I almost smiled when I pictured the look on Roxi’s face if she ever saw this bag o’ tricks. Then again, perhaps she’d be impressed. I didn’t much like killing, but I knew I had to get Natassa out of there. Tonight. Tonight, I would empty those clips with a grand passion.

But the overhead. It was kind of amusing picking out one of those long black coats that henchmen wore in the movies. Even though I wasn’t that tall, it made me feel a little taller. More importantly, it would help conceal my weaponry. I bought a pair of shades that my ego convinced me such a character needed. For the first time in my life, I shaved my head.

I arrived at Medievaland around ten, properly outfitted for the evening I had in mind, including a black hat that very nearly made me look as if I belonged there. I met Veronica in the back near the loading area. I had the two carbines, fully loaded, strapped under my coat.

She was dressed in a wench’s costume, complete with bodice and lace. After our talk the night before, she’d headed down here and talked her way into a job, starting tonight. I suspected her vampire mind tricks might have helped.

She suppressed a giggle when she saw my attire.

“Not the time,” I growled, stepping into the shadows of the tall trees outside the building. “Have you found my client?”

She shook her head. “You still haven’t heard from him?”

“No.”

“Listen, Spinoza, no one likes a little adventure more than I do, believe me. But are you sure you want to free her? I mean, you could be unleashing hell’s fury.”

I took a deep breath. “Like I said, you haven’t seen her. Those eyes—”

“Yeah, yeah, those eyes.” She did a fairly good job imitating me. “Have you ever wondered if those eyes put some kind of a spell on you? And maybe on your client, too?”

I turned Veronica to face me. Drew her chin up so she met my own eyes. “Do I look like I’m under a spell?”

She looked deeply for a moment, then smiled. “A curse, maybe.”

I grunted, then nodded toward the loading docks. “Tell me what you know.”

Veronica nodded in the workers’ direction. “These boys won’t give you any trouble. But I’ve been listening, and they’ve got at least eight guards down there now. From the coven. I can get us in there, no problem.”

I thought about that. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“We should be worrying about you more than me.”

“But you’re just a kid.”

“Only in theory,” she said. “Only in theory.”

I stepped a little deeper into the shadow of the trees. With my back to the squires, I opened my coat to show her my guns. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. I could tell she wanted to touch the semi-automatics, but dared not. Kid or not, she was still all vampire.

“Remind me not to get on your bad side, ever,” she commented as I pulled my coat back over them.

“Never, Sugar,” I said. But she still took a couple more steps back.

She composed herself quickly though, nodding as if to herself.

She shook off whatever it was she was thinking, and shivered.

I said, “When we get down there, we’ll come at them from two directions.”

I pulled out one of the knives and a pair of black leather gloves and handed them to her. “These gloves aren’t for my guns,” I said, “but they might come in handy for you.”

She donned them quickly and held the knife, getting a feel for it in her hand. She seemed okay. She nodded again, this time in thanks.

It was almost time. I could see them getting ready to lock up for the night. Veronica took a deep breath, and we confidently, side by side, walked toward the back entrance.

It was go-time.

Chapter Thirteen

There were two of them, guarding the rear entrance near the loading docks.

“Hey Jake,” Veronica casually flirted.

The bigger of the two guys smiled at her. Jake, I assumed. But then he glanced at me and asked, “Who’s your friend?”

I could sense her magic now, or whatever her kind called it. She pushed a thought into his mind and somehow gave me access to it. Yeah, maybe we were telepathically connected. Lord help me.

He’s with me, came her words. It’s all right. You never saw him.

She shifted her glance to the other and gave another slight push. For a second, they looked confused, but only for a second. Then Jake said, “Okay, beautiful.”

Veronica winked at Jake as we entered.

“Very nice,” I said. “And very weird.”

“What can I say?” she said, elbowing me. “I do weird well.”

We strode down the corridor, taking in every detail as we moved. We were approaching the elevators, where I knew the first guards would be waiting. My adrenaline was starting to pump.

Elevator or stairs? she asked me mentally, this time only freaking me out a little.

“Both,” I said quietly. “Let me take the elevator. You take the stairs. When we get down there, you stay on my left.”

I was right-handed, which meant cover would be better on the left. Veronica nodded as we rounded the corner to both the stairway and elevator like two wolves following a scent.

“All right,” she said as one of the guards started to turn toward us. We quickened our pace. Things were going to happen very swiftly now, I knew. I sensed Veronica knew it as well. She looked hungry for a fight. Lord help me.

“Meet you in the basement. We advance together. Just don’t get in front of me,” I told her as I reached into my coat and pulled out my silver peashooters.

She eyed the big guns nervously, as well she should. “Wouldn’t dream of it, babe. Now, can we go kick some ass?”

“That’s the plan,” I said, and stepped into the elevator.

Chapter Fourteen

The guard who turned toward us had time to register the fact that we were personae non gratae, but that was about it.

I whipped up my rifle like a pro and let out a spray of bullets that wiped out him and the other guard, too. When the bullets entered their bodies, it sent them both flying up against the wall—they howled loud enough to wake the dead before evaporating into thin air.

Okay, that did not just happen.

But it did—and I had no time to think about it. Fortunately, the elevator door was open. I stepped in as Veronica headed toward the stairs.

* * *

It was the longest ten seconds of my life.

I knew those death-screams had alerted whoever was below, and they could move a hell of a lot faster than this rickety old thing. I prayed that Veronica was safe for those ten seconds. The first time I’ve prayed in a long while.

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