Gabriel paced from the antique metal filing cabinet to the even older wooden desk. Left over from decades past, the antiquated furniture fit right in with the run-down warehouse. He should’ve bought some new furniture with the down payment Marco had given him, but he’d spent the money on some new clothes and dinner at a fancy restaurant.
Marco…
The muscles in his hands twitched with nervous energy. He squeezed his fist around the golden medallion and increased his pace. He should open his mouth and call for the fae, tell him he’d destroyed the stone gargoyle, but his lips remained shut. After three more rounds, he stood next to the grime-encrusted windows and peered into the alley below.
This time of night, only the brave or incredibly stupid wandered down side streets like this one. Fortunately, neither graced the alley at this moment. His attention drew to an overturned dumpster near the street entrance. Funny, he’d peered out the window less than an hour ago and didn’t remember the dumpster’s demise. Must be nerves.
He opened his palm and studied the golden ornament. The dragon, with its wide wings and taloned feet, seemed fearsome and proud. What did the dragon symbolize to the fae? He shook his head. It didn’t really matter. Time to do this. He opened his mouth and inhaled a large breath.
“Gabe? Chief?” Luke’s familiar voice echoed through the enormous space.
Except for the desk, the file cabinet, and an old chair, the vast expanse of the warehouse remained empty.
Blood pulsed at Gabriel’s temple. He shoved the medallion in his pocket and turned to face his unwanted interruption. “What?”
Shoulders slumped, Luke stepped into the room. Tattered and torn, his shirt hung from him in rags, and his mud-stained jeans hadn’t seen a washing machine in what looked like weeks. A new belt with a bright and shiny buckle held up his pants and seemed out of place.
He rubbed his hands together and glanced around. “You alone?”
The twitch returned to Gabriel’s hand. He frowned. “Does it look like anyone else is here?”
Luke bowed his head. “No, no, of course not. I just…”
Like the wear and tear on his clothes, Luke’s skin bore the ravages of life on the street, making him appear much older than his twenty-two years.
Gabriel’s scowl deepened. “C’mon, c’mon. I don’t have all night. Spit it out.”
“I have information you’ll find interesting.” Luke took a step forward. “You don’t have any more beer, do you?”
Gabriel stepped into Luke’s personal space, gripped the guy by the shirt collar, and cinched the material tight around his neck. The rancid smell of body odor assailed his nostrils. “You don’t bargain with me. I provide shelter, food, a phone. When was the last time you took a shower?”
Luke choked as he clawed at Gabriel’s hands. Feeble and weak, he was no match for Gabriel. A thrill traveled through his veins like liquid lightning. One final squeeze and he’d drain the life from this miserable scum. The problem, though, was he needed people like Luke to keep him informed on the activity in the streets.
He shoved Luke to the ground. “Get up. Talk to me like a man. No sniveling, no whining.”
Luke rose to his feet. He wiped his nose with his finger and stared at Gabriel. “I’m sorry, Gabe, er, chief. You treat me well. I should do better.”
Gabriel placed his arm around the guy’s shoulder and tried to ignore his stench. “You’re a good man, Luke, really you are, but you need to tell me up front about information. I take care of you, don’t I?”
Luke nodded and sniffed. “Yeah, yeah, you do.”
“All right then. Tell me. What news do you bring?”
The younger man peered into Gabriel’s eyes. “I ran into Sadie.”
Sadie… Gabriel’s heart skipped a beat.
His mouth suddenly dry, he couldn’t swallow. “Sadie? As in, our Sunny Sadie?”
“Yeah, her.” A smile bloomed on Luke’s face. “She looks good, all pretty with a bit of pink in her hair and—”
Gabriel tightened his grip on Luke’s shoulder. “Where did you see her?”
“At the old park, out on Lincoln. She, uh, was looking for you.”
Gabriel flinched, as if someone had punched him in the gut. “She’s looking for me? Why?”
“Said you had something that belonged to her. A piece of jewelry I think it was, something called a spark stone.” Luke dug his fingers into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “She gave me her number. Wanted me to contact her if I found you.”
“She did, did she?” Gabriel smiled and seized the phone from Luke’s hand.
With nimble fingers, he scanned through the contacts until he came to one he recognized—Not-so-Sunny Sadie. He pursed his lips. When they’d first met, she’d seemed like the sun to him, so bright, so cheery, so innocent. Over time, her happiness had faded.
Perhaps you’re the one who stole that from her. The whispered words echoed in his mind.
He tightened his grip on the phone. “You’ve done well, Luke, very well indeed.”
Luke’s features brightened. “Thank you, chief, thank you.”
Gabriel transferred the number to his phone and returned the older model to Luke. “Why don’t you go to the club house, take a shower, eat a meal, maybe get some new clothes. You deserve a night off.”
“Oh, that’s a fine plan. You do take good care of me, chief, yes indeed.” Luke shuffled to the door, and as he closed it behind him, the old wood shuddered in the frame.
Gabriel strode to the window and stared into the alley. The battered and abused dumpsters stood like old soldiers returned from the losing end of a battle. Maybe Sadie was the one who’d sold the precious white stone to the pawn shop. He couldn’t hold back the laugh that bubbled to the surface.
“Sunny Sadie, now that sounds like something you’d do. Steal a gargoyle’s spark stone. I wonder how you obtained such a find.” He traced his finger over her phone number. So close yet so far.
Gabriel had intended to contact Sadie’s sister Hannah after his meeting with Marco, but now, he had second thoughts. Sadie searched for him. Hannah searched for her sister. How best to use this information? He tapped his finger along the side of his phone, his nail beating out a steady click, click, click.
A smile tugged at his lip as an idea solidified in his mind. He couldn’t stop the grin, so he let it spread across his face and placed his call.
The phone buzzed in his ear, once, twice, three times. His fingernail rapped against the edge of his phone in double time.
“Answer, damn it, answer.”
On the fifth ring, when he thought voice mail would pick up, a soft, breathless, feminine voice answered. “Hello?”
“Is this Hannah?” He smiled, satisfaction spreading through his chest.
“Yes.”
“My name is Gabe. I’m calling about the poster I saw at the University of Chicago, the one of the young lady.”
“Have you seen Sadie?” Hannah’s rushed words echoed through the line.
“Well, not in a while,” the sound of her deflated exhale tickled his ear, “but I know how to find her.”
“You do? Really? She’s alive?” A happy squeal burst from Hannah.
His smile widened. “Absolutely, she’s alive. Let’s arrange a time and place to meet. We’ll hook up with your sister from there.”
“Oh, that would be so perfect.”
This was much too easy, and just like the old saying “Like taking candy from a baby.” Hannah was as sweet, innocent, and gullible as Sadie had once been. A thrill sent a torrent of adrenaline all the way to his groin. He couldn’t wait to meet Sadie’s little sister.
Gabriel walked through the park, where Sadie had run into Luke the night before. He leaned against the old, rickety swing set and gave the lone swing a push. The chain twisted and spun on itself, the seat rotating around and around until the momentum reached its zenith and the seat slowly unwound.
He grinned. How many times had he and Sadie chased each other around this old set, over the slide, and between the monkey bars?
That had been a few years ago, but the time seemed like eons. If only she hadn’t run from him, they’d still be together. He’d only hit her because she’d deserved it. When he'd stopped searching for her, he thought he'd never see her again.
Not long after he’d left his pickpocketing days behind, leaving the chore to his minions and delved into the world of pretty girls. He had his warehouse loft, a floor above his small office where he lived, and a limited supply of tapped electricity and water from a nearby building to keep his business running. If only Sadie had remained, but she’d be back, of that he had no doubt.
He had plans to meet up with Hannah in a bit, but first things first, he needed to share his good news with Marco. If he could get into the fae’s good graces, he’d move up in the world, be able to afford a penthouse in a fine hotel. A smile toyed at his lip. Sadie would like that.
With shaky fingers, he dug the medallion from his pants pocket. The dragon’s eyes seemed to glow.
He clutched the ornament, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. “Marco, Marco, Marco.”
The honking of a car horn, the smell of rotten garbage, and the warm summer breeze filtered into Gabriel’s senses. He released the tension in his shoulders and opened his eyes.
The swing rocked gently in the slight breeze. No sign of Marco.
Gabriel’s pulse pounded at his temple. Did he do something wrong? Had he misunderstood the fae?
The wind picked up speed, swirling around the swing. The small seat spun, increasing in speed. Dust and dirt joined in the churn, obscuring the swing from view. After a long moment, the dirt subsided. Dressed in a fine suit with his legs crossed and an air of nonchalance, Marco rested on the seat.
A nervous laugh escaped Gabriel’s lips before he could stop it. “Marco, you’re here.”
Marco peered around then lifted one of his eyebrows. “Where else would I be?”
He rose from his seat. “And, good thing there aren’t other fae with the same name. Otherwise, you’d have three Marco’s here. As I recall, I told you to say my name once.”
Gabriel swallowed. The urge to say, “yes, master,” lay on the tip of his tongue. Despite the warm breeze, goose bumps prickled along his arms.
Marco wiped his fingers down his jacket’s lapel. “Did you accomplish your task? I haven’t had time to look for myself.”
“Yes.” Gabriel’s chest expanded. “I destroyed the gargoyle’s stone form, just as you requested.”
“Requested?” Marco’s attention rose from his lapel, his fingers stopping in mid-stride. “That was not a request. That was an order. There is a difference.”
His gaze narrowed. “Tell me you won’t need another reminder.”
Gabriel flinched. “Y…yes, I mean, no. No, I won’t need another reminder.”
He hid his shaky fingers behind his back, but the fae’s attention tracked the movement. A cool smile curled Marco’s lip. His good looks made him seem nice, friendly, but Gabriel suspected the creature’s evil nature lurked just below the surface. He never wanted to find out.
“Well done, then.” Marco draped his arm around Gabriel’s shoulder.
It wasn’t lost on him that he suddenly felt a kinship of sort with Luke. Bitterness churned in his gut.
“You are now, officially, a part of my team.” He leaned in and whispered, “Although technically, when you willingly accepted my personal, potent saliva, I claimed your soul already.”
Every muscle in Gabriel’s body tensed. Had he sold his soul to the Devil? No, oh, please, no.
Marco chuckled and patted Gabriel’s shoulder. “Now, now, I’m not quite “the Devil.” I can only aspire to Cernunnos’s greatness. However, I am a powerful overlord reporting directly to him.”
A tremble rippled up Gabriel’s legs. The fae had read his mind. “Am I going to die?”
“Not anytime soon. As I told you, I need a human army during the day to accomplish special tasks.” Marco released his hold on Gabriel.
Gabriel’s legs gave out, and he crashed to the ground on his knees. One kneecap hit a rock. Pain ricocheted up his leg. He bit back a scream. To show weakness in front of this fae could be deadly, despite the fae’s words.
“Good man. Bite that tongue. Just so we are on the same page…” Marco strolled over to the swing once again and gave it a slow twirl. “Now that you have my special concoction in your blood, I can track your whereabouts and read your thoughts if I’m within range. Keep that in mind should you have any ideas of leaving my employment.”
“Y…yes, master.” The words tumbled from Gabriel’s lips. He hadn’t wanted to say them but couldn’t stop himself.
“Well done, Gabriel, well done. I’ll be in touch. In the meantime, keep your ears and eyes open for anything you think may be of value.” Marco turned as if to leave.
“Wait!” Gabriel scrambled to his feet. Determination and greed forced the next words from his mouth. “What about my reward?”
Marco tsked and waved his hand in the air. “Oh that, yes. You’ll find a key on your warehouse desk. Said key will open a lock box at the bank on the corner two blocks south. Don’t spend the money all in one place. Oh, and,” he shuddered, “get yourself some new furniture, would you? That rickety chair is atrocious.”
With that, the wind swirled into a dust storm, and the dark fae disappeared.
Gabriel slumped back to the ground, not caring that his bruised knee complained. He’d survived the interaction with the fae, but at what price? Dread over his lost soul and elation over his newfound promotion and wealth mixed together into a noxious brew.
Unwilling to deal with the implications, he shrugged the sensation away and shoved himself to his feet. He had a meeting with a young girl.
Time to have some fun.