The Blood Eagle In The Big Easy Part 9

Rex wheezed. "Indeed, they must choose between working for you or remaining with the courts." Rex took out his inhaler and puffed it. "He can't touch you but he will force the others out one way or another."

So that was his plan. The man had no idea what he'd start with such a demand. Standing there I was amazed at his ingenuity. If these were not the men and women I had trained he might have had a chance. Sitting my gla.s.s on the coffee table I lost myself in thought. "Again clever, stupid, but clever."

Zulu raised an eyebrow, his voice rising an octave as he spoke. "How so? I have several members of my court who work for you and I for one am not going to lose them over this particular p.i.s.sing match."

Zulu's arrogance was usually tolerable but I was all out of patience for it today. Leonard was playing with fire and if he wasn't careful he would topple the entire courts in his quest to be rid of me. It made me angry that both Leonard and Zulu were so very short sighted but it did explain why criminal organizations rarely expanded beyond their leaders immediate supervision. "I provide the courts with willing soldiers, who want to serve their fellow citizens!" Not trying to hide the anger and hate in my voice Zulu involuntarily flinched as he shrank back into the cushions. "No matter how much sway you think you may hold, this is a matter outside of your understanding." Zulu turned his head away as he refused to meet my gaze as I strode toward him. "You have no idea what these men and women have sacrificed to be where they are today!" Stopping just a few steps from him I leaned down to look him in the eye. "You should consider yourself honored to have such men and women in your employ and stop thinking of them as p.a.w.ns in these petty games that you and Leonard have played over the years."

Rex's laugh was a cross between a wheeze and a cackle as he watched Zulu shift in his seat uncomfortably. "I tried to tell you that you didn't understand the scope of things." Rex leaned forward in his chair. "If Leonard forces them to choose we'll all lose!"

Zulu glared at Rex as he adjusted his shirt. "What are you going to do when the Gatekeeper strips you of your authority for helping him!?" he yelled, pointing at me.

The smile slowly slipped off the old man's face as he spoke the next words. "The Gatekeeper can kiss my wrinkled a.s.s." Rex closed the recliner chair and he hobbled to his feet. "My loyalties are with Viktor, not with Leonard." He waved his hand dismissively at Zulu as he sneered. "Leonard has overreached his authority. The proclamation he has sent out to our foot soldiers has already met with less than dismal results."

Zulu looked as if he'd been punched in the gut. "He already sent it out? I thought he would give us time to finish up here. What is happening that you haven't told me about?"

Rex smiled as he relished in his const.i.tuents discomfort. "Any team containing an employee or former employee of Warden Industries have all turned in their resignations." He hobbled over to stand next to me. "That means ninety percent of the MCC's forces are now on the road home and their jobs unfinished."

Zulu grabbed his phone from his jacket checking his emails. His face sank as he opened email after email. "This isn't possible." He whispered.

The doorbell rang just as I was about to tear into Zulu once more, but after seeing the defeated expression upon his face I lost the heart to do so. Answering the door instead I found Justine standing there clutching several sheets of crumpled paper. She looked past me to see Zulu frantically reading his emails and Rex sitting there not even trying to hide his admiration of her beauty. "Sir I didn't mean to catch you at a bad time... I can come back."

Shaking my head as I stepped to the side I waved her in. "That's alright, I think this meeting is very nearly over."

"Sir," Justine hesitated. "This message may have bearing on them as well."

"Oh?" Cue the dramatic music please I believe we are about to have an important announcement, or at least that's what I was thinking anyway.

Rex raised an eyebrow and smiled while Zulu looked at her pleadingly not to deliver any more bad news. "Please go on young lady." Rex wheezed.

Her voice was serene yet poisonous as she spoke. "On behalf of all the employees of Warden Industries I was asked to give you a message for the *Gatekeeper'."

Zulu gave her a quizzical look as she paused. "You do realize we are not the Gatekeepers secretary, right?"

She smiled sweetly. "I do, yes." She gave him a quick wink before continuing. "But since his secretary quit twenty minutes ago along with most of the other support staff, you're the closest thing I can get in touch with."

Rex cackled and Zulu nearly fell back into the sofa from shock. "By all means young lady please proceed. I will deliver your message for you personally." Rex coughed.

"Thank you, your majesty." She curtseyed. "Please inform the Gatekeeper that while we appreciate his position, we as a whole cannot comply." She steadied herself as she stared daggers at Zulu. "And if any repercussions were to land against any of our friends or family because of our decision" as she folded the piece of paper and put it in her pocket "there won't be enough of him left to identify!"

Rex wheezed so hard I thought he would pa.s.s out from lack of oxygen. He sat for a moment trying to stop laughing, before finally gaining control of himself. "You have made an old man's life complete today!" he wheezed. "It would be my honor to deliver the message for you." She bowed and excused herself without further fanfare.

Zulu was visibly shaken as he steadied himself against the wall. He gave Rex a weak smile. "Are you coming?"

Rex shook his head as he made himself comfortable again in the recliner. "You go on ahead and I will catch up with you this evening to make our report."

Zulu glared at me for a few seconds longer before storming out. Rex coughed and wheezed as he tried not to snicker. "They don't understand you at all." He gestured wildly about. "But that's alright, they will learn the truth of things soon. In the meantime however is there anything I can do before Leonard officially ties my hands?"

I shrugged. "I could use some information about a man named George Ackler."

"Is that the man you shot yesterday? The one that got away after putting you through a window...and a railing?" Rex inquired.

Bowing my head in shame I was beginning to feel I would never live that episode of my life down. "Does everyone already know the story? Holy s.h.i.t this is a small town."

Rex laughed. "It isn't everyday you see Superman smacked around like a b.i.t.c.h."

Throwing my hands up I stopped trying to justify the situation. "I don't know if I would go so far as saying b.i.t.c.h but I suppose I get your point. I do have one other question however."

Rex nodded and asked. "And that is?"

"Why does Zulu hate my guts? I mean, Leonard I understand. I have been p.i.s.sing on his leg and telling him its raining since he became Gatekeeper. But I don't get Zulu."

Rex nodded as all joviality left the old mans face. "It's a fairly well kept secret but I did some digging years ago because I too was curious." Indicating to me that I wasn't the only one who noticed. "Do you remember back in 2005 that Houngan and kappa you killed out in the East?"

"Yeah that was one tough b.a.s.t.a.r.d." I caught myself rubbing my ribs as I recalled that night seven years ago. "I spent three days in the sickbay downstairs recovering. Why do you ask?"

Rex sighed deeply causing him to cough.. "They were immediate relatives of Zulu." He coughed again pulling out his inhaler for another puff. "His father and brother to be precise."

That caught me completely off guard! I had to sit to keep from falling over. "I'm sorry, but I think I misunderstood what you were saying."

Rex shook his head. "You heard me well enough. His brother was transformed through dark magic into a vicious kappa by his father who sacrificed his life force and youth for power."

"Oh wow, how did you ever figure it all out?" I asked.

Rex shrugged. "Took a lot of digging. Zulu had distanced himself from his family due to their nature, and because he was able to know the difference between right and wrong. Even though he knows what you did was the right thing to do, it was still his family that you killed that day. Ever since then he has hated you and I think that hate has clouded his judgement."

"Thank you. If there is anything I can do for you please let me know."

Rex smiled at me knowingly. "I am glad you understand that there is a price for my help through all this."

"Oh and what might that be?" I asked both amused and curious.

Rex leaned forward and looked me straight in the eyes as he spoke. "I won't live to see another Mardi Gras and as such I want something from you."

"I will do my best?"

"If I yet draw breath I want to be there when you and the Gatekeeper stand before Comus. I have lived a long and not always pleasant life and I want my last Mardi Gras to be spent in the presence of Comus himself. Can you do that for me? Please."

"I will make sure you are there. I swear that you will spend the day with Comus and if you're lucky enough he might even share his secret with you."

Rex beamed like a kid at Christmas as he sat back in his chair and said. "What's mine is yours then."

I smiled. "Thank you kindly."

"It's nothing really. I have grown weary over the years and you are the only beacon of hope in an age where so many have lost sight of what is real and what isn't. I would have helped you, no matter your answer just so you know."

I felt humbled. Rex was a good man deep down. Really really deep down. I had known him for many years, and we fought together on several occasions before he lost his leg. It would be my honor to bring him before Comus and fulfill his final wish. The man deserved so much more, but this was something within my grasp to give and I would do so. We talked for awhile longer about what needed to be done before he excused himself.

Rex may be a shark at times but he was a kind and gentle man as well. The shark inside was something created out of necessity and not out of malice. I will be sad when he pa.s.ses and relieved for his release from this life that now pained him so. The years had not been kind to him. War had taken his leg. Smoking had taken a lung and death had taken his wife and children. It was a wonder that he had not become one of the monsters we fought. It was a testament to his character that he still dedicated his life to doing what was right, no matter the cost. It was because of men like him that the world was a safer place. It was my honor and privilege to have served with him for so long within the courts and in the field. He was truly a man among men. I could only hope that I was half as well thought of when my time came to pa.s.s.

Even though I wasn't particularly hungry I took a few minutes to place a delivery order for lunch before proceeding with the rest of my day. I sent out a message to all those who were leaving the courts employment that they only needed to pa.s.s by the office to pick up their new credentials and first paychecks. It was the least I could do for the loyalty they had shown me today. The only bad thing was no matter what happened from this day forward the Courts were in no condition to aid us in anyway. And the people returning to our employment wouldn't be of much help until we could organize everything which could take weeks. If I had to guess the case with Gullveig would be over in a matter of a day or two. I could only hope that we could hang on that long. Kira would have to be successful for us to pull this whole thing off and live to tell the tale.

Chapter 13.

Sitting at the kitchen counter I flipped through reports as I mindlessly picked at my sandwich, not really wanting to eat the thing. My phone vibrated as William Decker's number flashed across the screen. William was a jovial man who loved to eat almost as much as he loved New Orleans itself. He was at least a head taller than I was and nearly as wide, with curly dirty blonde hair and a normally clean shaven complexion. With his job as a food broker he had access to the finest restaurants in town as well as the best gossip, or as he preferred to call it slightly filthy second hand information. If he was calling my private number he had something I might find interesting.

Pushing the food aside I answered the phone. "Good afternoon William."

William sounded amused through his thick Bywater accent. "Good morning Mr. Warden." Hearing dishes in the background I could only a.s.sume he was out on his route. "I think I have some information you might find useful."

"Oh?" Sitting up in my chair I leaned forward in antic.i.p.ation. I hate waiting more than anything in the world, and over the last several hours I had plenty of *nothing' to occupy my thoughts. I tried to keep the excitement out of my voice.

William chuckled. "For starters, I've asked you a million times to call me Billy." The sound of dishes faded as a door closed. The sound of a streetcar ringing its bell could be heard in the distance. "I haven't seen you in months."

William had called several times in the last few months for lunch but my workload had always forced me to take a rain check. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that, works been crazy."

"I more than understand, believe me." His voice was full of mirth. "But today you should join me at the Irish House."

"Is that the place on St. Charles?"

"That's the one." Billy replied. "The owner Chef Matt won the show Chopped!"

The place had a fantastic reputation and my daughter loved the happy hour, though more for the food than the drinks. "I've heard good things." Quickly wrapping up my sandwich I tossed it in the fridge before grabbing my keys. "I can be there in twenty."

"Love it!" He nearly cheered. "Oh and so you don't think I'm going all soft, you're buying lunch!"

That made me stop and laugh. "Don't they feed you for free wherever you go?" Grabbing my jacket I was out the door, locking it as I went.

"I don't believe that was ever the point! See you in thirty." As he simply hung up.

Even if this turned out to be nothing I was glad for the distraction, and it would at least allow me eat something more impressive than a ham and cheese on white. Calling Justine at the office I let her know I would be out of touch for the next couple of hours.

Walking out of my building my eyes were a.s.saulted by overzealous rays of sunshine unimpeded by the brilliant white cotton ball clouds hanging in the crystal blue sky above. It was still unseasonably warm for November as the songbirds tweeted melodies of joy and happiness. The world all around me bespoke of serenity which couldn't be further from the truth. If the city knew on any given day just how close they were to the brink of something horrible I doubted very much they would be able to sleep at night.

Catching site of my daughter's car parked on the far end of the parking lot all alone, I compared it to my smaller but much more tasteful SUV, and decided that while she may have inherited many things from me, good taste wasn't one of them. Her mother was a woman who relished in her refinement so I had to wonder where Kira got her awful taste. It was true that she had always seemed to place a football field or two between her and what the rest of society considered good taste but that atrocity of a vehicle had to be over the line even for her!

Twenty minutes later I pulled into the side parking lot of the Irish House. The building was a deep beige with a second story wrought iron balcony that sat directly across the street from an early sixties building containing an Office Depot. Whoever the owners of that building were deserved to be shot for allowing such an atrocity mar the historical district. G.o.d only knows who they had to pay off to allow the place to remain standing when it flew in the face of all the local building codes. Normally the Garden District was extremely vigilant when it came to such things but somehow they had allowed that particular eyesore to remain.

Shaking off the irritation of that little h.e.l.l hole I made my way through the leaded gla.s.s doors where I was quickly greeted by the bartender and the smell of something wonderful cooking in the kitchen. Giving him a nod I let him know I was looking for someone when I caught sight of Billy sitting at the furthest edge of the s.p.a.cious dining room. Smiling he waved me over. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Billy chose this particular table for its privacy as much as the view. From where he sat he had an un.o.bstructed view of the kitchen.

"Come on over and have a seat, Chef Justin will be out shortly." Billy beamed with pride. He liked to name drop chef's names as if they were superstars.

Billy didn't take too much pride in his appearance or even where he lived. When it came to food however, that was a totally different story. Only the best would do. Since his recent divorce it looked like he had added another fifty pounds to his already swollen girth. Two years ago he had transferred to Virginia in hopes of giving his marriage one last chance with his now ex-wife. She was a nice enough lady I suppose, but she always wanted what was on the other side of the fence. It didn't take long before things went from bad to worse. A year long divorce court battle ensued and now Billy was back in the Big Easy with his ever expanding girth.

Holding out my arms Billy stood and gave me a hug in greeting. "How ya been?"

Billy waved me off as he shrugged his shoulders. "Been better I suppose."

"Oh?" Taking my seat I was concerned. Even during the nastiest part of his divorce he would have answered that question with something along the lines of fantastic. "Something wrong?"

Billy took his seat as he shrugged again. "I was wondering if you still had that apartment for rent on Seventh Street?"

This was new. I'd offered him the place when he first came back to town but he had turned me down. "Of course!" Reaching in my pocket I grabbed my phone to start making the arrangements.

Billy carefully reached over and pushed my hand away from the screen. "That can wait till after we eat!" His smile filled me with joy. There's nothing better than being around someone who is genuinely happy because its infectious. "Besides we have much to discuss, between now and when you make that call." He waved a meaty hand at one of the servers who sprung into action as she brought me a gla.s.s of unsweetened tea.

My stomach growled loudly. "You drive a hard bargain!" Looking around the restaurant I took in the old world decor as the scent of well prepared, genuine Irish food filled my senses. "Forcing me to eat well on a regular basis will earn you bonus points."

"I'm counting on it." He chuckled nodding at someone over my shoulder. "I have someone I would like you to meet."

A thin man in his mid twenties with shoulder length curly hair, a pale complexion and wearing a chef's jacket smiled at us broadly. "Good afternoon gentlemen, I'm Chef Justin."

Bowing my head slightly I stuck out my hand. "I'm Viktor Warden."

Justin beamed as he shook my hand. "Pleasure to meet you sir. Any friend of Billy's is a friend of ours." Something fell in the kitchen nearly sending the poor boy into a panic. "If you will excuse me, I should go tend to my kitchen. Again pleasure to meet you." Justin hurried back through the swinging doors of the kitchen vanishing for the moment.

"He seems like a nice kid." Smiling I took a sip of tea. "But I thought we were going to meet Chef Matt." As the words came out of my mouth Billy's face sprang to life as he thrived on being in the know.

He laughed as he took great pride in knowing the ins and out of the local establishments. "Oh he comes on at five tonight, by which time I suspect you will be long gone." He pushed a piece of b.u.t.tered soda bread in his mouth. "I'm sure you'll be out saving the world or some such thing well before nightfall."

That made me nearly spit out my drink as I laughed. "I think you overestimate what it is I do."

His smile left him for the first time since I had known the man. The seriousness of his expression made him look old and feeble, making his face barely recognizable. "Hardly!" His voice was dry and low as he spoke. "You may have those around you fooled as to who you are and what you're all about but I know better." He said tapping a pudgy finger to his temple. "Have you forgotten who it is you are speaking to?"

My cheeks flooded with color as I hung my head. "I... I, wouldn't put much stock in the stories around town." Mumbling as I tried to change the subject. "When are we going to order? I'm starved!"

No sooner were the words out of my mouth when Chef Justin arrived with several starters which included bangers and mash and fish and chips. Taking a little from each plate I took my first bite of bangers and mash and closed my eyes as I savored the freshly made sausage. Billy smiled as he watched me. "Aren't you going to have some?" I asked.

Billy shrugged me off. "I'm starting my new diet today." He ran his hand up and down his form. "I need to take off a few pounds before spring, bikini season and all."

I nearly choked at the thought of Billy in a bikini. "Spring?" I spiked another sausage for my plate before taking aim at the fish. "Something happening in the spring?"

Billy c.o.c.ked his head to one side as he smiled. "I got a good feeling about this upcoming year." He grabbed a french fry off the plate. "Things are going to change for the better, I can just feel it."

Smiling, I took a bite of fish which was lite and wonderful tasting. "Glad to hear it."

Billy pushed a folded piece of paper in my direction. "I had a visitor this morning." The smile faded away again as I noticed his once blonde hair had turned gray in places. "This man you're looking for is dangerous, yes?"

"I suppose so." Talking about such things made me uncomfortable. "No more than anyone else I suppose." Billy didn't take his hand off the piece of paper when I reached for it.

"So being thrown through a window is fairly standard for you then." Billy stated before releasing the paper as he leaned back and studied me.