The Royal Flush (Knights of the Darkness Chronicles(Book Three)) (20 page)

Darian, Xander and Elise watched as a man clad in a black designer suit emerged from his sports car carrying a black briefcase with gold-plated locks. He walked gracefully towards the factory entrance. It was apparent by his demeanor that he didn’t care that he was fifteen minutes late. He pulled a pack of
Oldport
cigarettes from his pocket with one hand removing a cigarette with his lips, lighting it as he puffed twice, creating two clouds of smoke. He slipped the pack of cigarettes back into his pocket as he entered the factory.

“Took you long enough, David,” Ryan said annoyed. “Next time… be on
time.
”

“Redundant much?” David smirked.

Ryan snorted. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah. Sorry fellas, I had some loose ends to tie up.” David held his hands out as if so say
‘It was out of my control’.
He walked towards the trunk. “Let’s get on with it.”

Ryan nodded and leaned down, opening the lid revealing a trunk full of silver-nitrate and ultraviolet ammunition.

David smiled. “Excellent job, fellas… outstanding.”

Ryan closed the lid, locking it. “You got the money?” he asked.

Jesse stood beside the trunk anxiously, but remained silent. It was Ryan’s contact, therefore his deal.

“Yeah, I have the money, the whole hundred-thousand,” David said as he placed his briefcase on top of the trunk. He opened it, exposing a layer of neatly package hundred dollar bills. Standing back, he drew on his cigarette, letting the two men feast their eyes on their bounty.

Jesse’s eyes widen as he stared at the money, a look of confusion flashed across his face. He was told that the drop was for fifty thousand, which meant that they would both get twenty-five.
Had the deal changed?

“It’s all there. Do you want to count it?” David asked sarcastically.

Ryan looked up and him and smiled as he pulled on a pair of black leather gloves. “That won’t be necessary. I’ve done business with them in the past. Never had a problem, besides, they have a very rare hobby, they’re going to be needing my services again soon enough,” he replied arrogantly.

David snorted and closed the briefcase.

Jesse could no longer hold his tongue, things were looking weird.

“Ryan, what’s going on?” he asked his partner.

Ryan looked at Jesse and smiled wickedly. “Oh, that’s right I forgot to tell you, I’m going solo today.”

Without waiting to see Jesse’s expression change from perplexed to horrified, he pulled his gun from his holster and before Jesse could reach for his own handgun, Ryan shot him twice in the chest. Jesse cried out as he fell backwards onto the dust and grime covered floor. Blood began to ooze out of the wounds, soaking the front of his shirt as Jesse struggled to breathe. He choked and gagged on his own blood as it bubbled from his mouth.

A lung shot, the worst kind. He knew he was dying, but it still didn’t make it easy for him to accept. Jesse looked up at Ryan confused, hurt. His partner stood over him and watched as the last of his life drained away in a puddle of blood. When Jesse could no longer breathe his head fell back onto the floor and his eyes closed as the last breath gurgled from his punctured lung.

“How are you going to explain this?” David asked.

“That’s for me to worry about,” Ryan said as he stuffed a bag full of cocaine into Jesse’s side jacket pocket. He ripped the bag open to make it look as though someone had tried to snatch the bag, but was unsuccessful. The leather gloves were a
nice touch

no fingerprints. When he turned around to retrieve his briefcase he was face-to-face with the barrel of David’s 9 mm automatic.

“What the fuck’s going on?” Ryan asked his voice shaky.

“You didn’t think that they would let you get away with sw
indling an additional fifty grand out of them for such a simple job, did you?” David asked with a chuckle.

“You can’t be fucking serious. They
need
me, motherfucker,” Ryan spat.

“Apparently not,” David said. In an act of desperation, Ryan went for his gun, but David didn’t give him the chance. The metal bullet left the barrel of his gun, burrowing deep into Ryan’s skull, right between his eyes. Ryan’s body jerked as his nervous system when into shock, then shut down. His body crumpled to the floor, a thin stream of blood began to seep from the hole in his forehead.

“Well, this was somewhat unexpected... just a little,” Darian said, amused.

“I don’t know… I’m a little taken aback. We should strike now,” Elise said as she watched David take the briefcase and toss it in the trunk of his Viper. He then went back for the trunk with the weapons and began dragging it back to his car.

“I agree,” Xander stated.

Darian looked at his two companions and nodded. David opened the trunk of his car, cursing himself for not bringing his Sidewinder, instead. The cargo space in his SUV was really something to behold. He turned to grab hold of the trunk when Darian caught him by the throat. In a movement far too fast for David to defend against, he felt his arm being painfully twisted behind him

his back pressed tightly against Darian’s chest. The vampire’s other arm locked around David, restricting any movement. Elise and Xander walked gracefully towards them. Xander marveled at Darian’s speed, agility and gracefulness. He wondered to himself, j
ust how old the Master vampire was.

“You must be a very old vampire to have that kind of ability,” Xander speculated.

Darian smiled knowingly. “Old enough.”

Elise walked in front of David, smirking.

“Aren’t you in a predicament? If you answer our questions, we’ll let you live,” she said.

“Yeah, right. Why would you let me live?” David asked.

“Because you’re just a pawn in a bigger game. You’re of little importance and you should be grateful we’re willing to deal with you at all,” Elise answered.

Xander opened the trunk to inspect the “product” his eyes scanned over the ammunition and he shook his head as he closed the lid.

David’s eyes darted between the woman and man beside the trunk, he grunted. “Who’s to say you won’t kill me once I give you the information?”

“No one is to say,” Elise said. “Now, who hired you?”

“Fuck you, bitch!” David said vehemently.

“That’s no way to speak to a lady,” Darian said with a slight growl. He tightened his grip on David, causing him to cry out from the pain. “Let’s try this again.”

“Who hired you and where are they?” Xander asked calmly.

“Fuck you!” David cursed, then hawked and spat a large ball of phlegm at Xander, who moved with a swiftness that David’s human eyes couldn’t see and the saliva landed on the ground.

“That’s disgusting,” Elise said with a grimace.

“Indeed,” Xander replied flatly. “Not to mention, rude.”

“You wouldn’t know this, but I think this is a good time to inform you that I have not fed this evening. This dreadful meeting was a bit too early for my taste,” Darian said with an edge of a threat.

David tensed at the thought of being the food for whatever the creature was that had his vice-like grip around him.

“Okay, okay, look, I fucking swear I don’t know who really wants these guns. But I have a contact who might know. I was just supposed to whack those two cops and take the money and the ammunition, that’s all,” David said desperately.

Xander and Elise looked at him.

“You know, I could smell if you are lying.” Elise ran her finger over his forehead, wiping away some of the sweat that was now beading his forehead and running down his temples.

“I’m not lying, I really don’t know, I swear!” David yelled. His body began to tremble.

They watched him a moment longer then Xander spoke. “He’s telling the truth, he really doesn’t know. What is the name of your contact?” he asked.

“Brian Phillips. I’m supposed to meet him tonight and give him the trunk full of ammunition. I was to keep the money as my payment.” David’s voice was still shaky.

“What is his number?” Elise asked.

Darian tightened his grip and David gasped as the sharp pain of a rib snapping wracked his body.

“Why?” David demanded through gritted teeth, panting slightly.

Darian rolled his eyes.

“Enough of this. It was fun for the first few minutes, now it’s just boring,” he said with finality as he plunged his sharp fangs deeply into David’s jugular.

The man cried out as the fangs broke through the surface of his flesh. Elise and Xander looked on as Darian fed from David. Darian’s eyes were closed, his mouth sealed to his captive’s neck as he took in the blood. David began to pant and moan as indescribable pleasure coursed through his veins. A wetness formed on the front of his pants as a violent spasm ripped through his body. Darian tilted his head slightly to gain a better hold as he continued to feed. Elise ran the tip of her tongue along her lips as she watched the eroticism of Darian feasting. Xander was somewhat intrigued as well. He had always wondered what blood tasted like to vampires and what effects they felt. He only understood what it meant to taste human blood from a shape-shifter’s point of view.

Darian drew back from the wound, licking his lips. He bit into his tongue and, leaning forward, sealed the puncture wounds in David’s neck. He opened the driver’s side door of David’s sport car and gently placed him behind the steering wheel then closed the door.

“What about the money?” Elise asked teasingly.

Darian looked down at the briefcase and picked it up.

“He won’t be needing it, but we can use it.” He waved his hand to let Elise and Xander know he wanted them to move away from the car.

Xander picked the trunk from the ground and placed it on his shoulders with ease. He started walking towards his automobile, followed by Elise. Darian backed away from the car and with his mystical mental powers, he lit the gas tank and the car exploded with such a force, it lifted the once beautiful sports car several feet off the ground as the thunderous noise from the blast echoed throughout the area. A huge fiery cloud shot upwards as the roaring fire raged on filling the sky with thick black and gray smoke.

Darian walked back towards Xander and Elise.

“He really didn’t know much at all. As a matter of fact, he didn’t even know his contact’s real name. The name he gave us is his contact’s
code
name, they had never met before. This deal was supposed to have been their first meeting.” He gave them the contact’s telephone number.

“My, my, they are cunning,” Xander mused.

Elise’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Darian. “You could have gotten all of that information from them earlier, couldn’t you?”

Darian nodded.

“So why didn’t you?” she asked.

“Because I was curious and I found the situation entertaining, to say the very least. I wanted to see what was going to happen. I would be lying if I said that none of this intrigued me.” Darian acknowledged the angry wrinkles distorting Elise’s features and decided to offer an apology before she’d rightfully demand one. “But you are quite right, we don’t have time to waste.”

Elise frowned. “No, we don’t.” She gave Darian a scolding look.

He took the hint. She was right, their members were in trouble and time was of the essence.

“I apologize,” he said.

“We have members in danger who are depending on us. I know I don’t have to stress that to you,” Elise said, reiterating that she would no longer tolerate his desire to be
entertained
.

Oh, she just wasn’t going to let this go without a fight, was she?
Darian thought. He admired her strength. In this moment, she was justified in her anger and he couldn’t argue her point.

“I understand. I think the next meeting should be held as soon as possible. We have their ammunition, but I really don’t think that will prevent these people from killing our members. And furthermore, I’m sincerely hoping we’re on the right trail. It seems as though we are… but I’ve learn in my lifetime that things aren’t always as they seem.”

“I agree. But this is the best lead that we have right now… we have to see it through,” Elise said.

“I’m going to take this trunk back to my home. Would you care to ride with us or fly?” Xander asked Darian courteously.

“I’ll fly, I enjoy the sensation it brings me. I already have an idea on how to deal with this Brian Phillips. Once we’re done with what we need to do, I’ll be returning to my own home. There are several things I need to attend to. For starters, I must inform my coven on tonight’s turn of events,” Darian said.

“Very well, we will meet you there,” Xander responded.

“Until then,” Elise said.

Darian then vanished.

“Goodness, he’s fast,” Xander said in awe.

Only when he needs to be
, Elise thought wickedly to herself, remembering her sexual exploits she once shared with Darian nearly a year ago.