Chapter Fifteen

The first they saw of John was when he sat in beside them in the restaurant. “Uncle John,” Oengus exclaimed, “where did you come from?”

John gave an enigmatic smile.

“You look tired,” Oengus added.

“Every fireman in town is tired. Have you seen the streets? Everything that lives in the sewers has emerged into daylight. It’s chaos out there. I don’t know how they are keeping this place clear.”

“Oh, and this is Nina, she lives in your block.”

John shook Nina’s hand and gave her a smile without recognition.

“I met Nina when I went to your apartment,” Oengus said.

“Good find you getting my iPad. We had so many burglaries I devised that hideout.”

“We needed a bit of magic,” Oengus admitted.

“Thought you might.”

The waitress arrived. “Same as him,” John said, indicating to Oengus’s breakfast. The waitress made a note and departed.

“Where are you staying?” Oengus asked.

“Where are YOU staying,” John replied with emphasis.

“Greenwich village with a friend,” Oengus said.

“You saw what happened at my place?” John asked.

Nina and Oengus nodded.

“What did you make of it?” John asked, looking directly at Oengus. Pancake halfway to his mouth Oengus paused.

“They said it was a vampire,” Nina hissed.

“Exactly,” John said.

“What?” Oengus asked.

John leaned in but then leaned back as the waitress arrived with his breakfast. When she was gone he leaned in again.

“I did a deal with your people Oengus. Simple deal. I got my health back. I said I’d help you on a mission. I gave you back, they let me go.”

“And?” Oengus prompted.

Nina listened without understanding but with great interest.

“Why did they send a vampire? That breaks the deal,” John said.

“They sent a vampire?” Oengus asked, astonished.

“I’m sure that the attack was meant for me. I’ve been hiding out since. It was no burglary that’s for sure.”

The finished their breakfasts in silence.

“I’m supposed to contact you and get directions to the ‘Great Fury,’” Oengus said.

John sipped his coffee.

“You think nothing has changed?” he asked cautiously.

“I don’t know, no one told me,” Oengus protested.

“Can I say something?” Nina interjected.

“Sure,” John conceded.

“I don’t know what you two are talking about...” Nina began.

“The ‘Great Fury’ is an antique sword,” John said.

“OK,” Nina said with a shrug. “But on the other point, there is a third possibility.”

“What?” John asked.

“Well I’ve been helping Oengus to find his way around the town. And I’d say he’s one of the nicest but most naive boys I’ve met.”

“Probably,” John said with a grin in Oengus’s direction. Oengus felt himself blush slightly.

“So maybe there’s a third party involved of which neither of you know about.”

John met Oengus’s eye.

“Funny, we were followed and...” Oengus paused and glanced at Nina.

“And?’ John prompted.

“And Nina thought she saw a vampire last night.”

“I might have been dreaming,” Nina said, embarrassed.

“Everyone on our street knows Hugo,” John said, changing tack.

Nina nodded her agreement.

“And he’s sitting over across the concourse at the round table with a few of his gang also well known in our neighborhood.”

Nina looked and said nothing.

“Are you with Oengus or Hugo,” John hissed, leaning in and eyeballing Nina.

Nina shifted uneasily.

“She’s with me,” Oengus said.

“The naive boy?” John said sarcastically.

“What’s supposed to happen next?” John asked Nina.

“I don’t know,” she said. ‘Someone is paying Hugo to keep an eye out for you.”

“Someone, not Hugo? Someone else wants me?” John asked, keeping his voice calm lest he spooked Nina.

“Maybe,” Nina agreed.

“Oengus I think we are in a trap,” John said.

“What do we do?”

“Finish your coffee.”

“I’m getting used to coffee,” Oengus admitted.

Nina admired their calm. She didn’t know what to do.

“I’m going to the ladies toilet,” she said and stood.

“Goodbye,” John said.

Nina gave an anxious glance at Oengus and left.

“Did Nina just desert us?” Oengus asked after a moment.

“You’re catching on boy,” John said.

John scanned the room. He decided that if a move were to be made against them it would be when they made to leave. Hugo and his gang stood out but none else was obvious.

“You got any magic?” John asked Oengus.

“I can move a sugar lump,” Oengus confessed.

“Can you identify a magic being as opposed to a human?” John asked.

“Don’t know.”

John shook his head.

Oengus scanned the concourse.

“There’s a red haired woman in the sushi bar that stands out,” Oengus said.

“Very good looking,” John agreed.

“Fits the description Nina gave of the vampire. We can ask Nina when she gets back.”

“Oengus wise up. Nina is gone. It’s just you and me kid,” John said with a John Wayne voice and a smile.

“What do we do?” Oengus asked.

“I want you to go over to the Sushi bar and kiss that redhead on the lips and be sure you touch the inside of her lip with your tongue.”

“Uncle John!” Oengus said with a grimace. “Gross.”

“Oengus if you are who I think you are, you should be attractive to women and it is said that if the God of Love kisses a woman she is smitten. Think of it as a virus thing, you have to exchange saliva or whatever.”

“I’m not the God of Love, I’m apprentice God of Inconsequential Things.”

“I’m guessing that if you touch her you will know if she is a vampire or a magic person.”

“And then?” Oengus asked.

“While you create a diversion I’ll get out of here.”

“And leave me?”

“Everyman for himself.”

“You are supposed to help me on my mission.”

“Yes, I know.”

“I’m to find the sword, The Great Fury. You gave a solemn undertaking,” Oengus said speaking in serious tones.

“It’s not that simple Oengus. Your father stole the sword and I stole it from him.”

“What?”

“Oengus your father wanted vengeance. He helped me steal you and I helped him steal the sword.”

“Tell me where it is now,” Oengus insisted.

“Easy-peasy. It’s hidden in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”

“Anywhere in particular?”

“There’s a suit of English armor in the Arms and Armor section. There is a sword that looks out of place. That’s it, you’ll find it there.”

“But...”

“No buts Oengus, that completes your mission and you can go back to Danu. Your only problem is to get the sword out of the exhibit and out of the building. I brought it in during a fire inspection but getting things out is harder. I just wanted rid of it. It kept moving, it was creepy. It seems to send out some sort of a pulse and if you take it out of the scabbard it glows. Very creepy.”

“But isn’t that museum a huge place?” Oengus asked.

“Sure, give me your address in New York. You get out of this situation and I’ll find you again. If you have the sword, fine. If not I’ll take you to it.”

“Why not now Uncle John.”

“Because Oengus we are in a trap. If we are caught we won’t find anything. We escape first and then worry about the sword.”

“How do you know we are in a trap?”

“Oh come on, just go kiss the woman.”

Oengus took out his cell phone. “I’ll give you the number of the girl I share with.”

“Nina?”

“No uncle John, a girl called Maedbh,” Oengus said. He wrote the number on a napkin and gave it to his uncle.

“Maybe you are a God of Love,” John said with a crooked smile. “Hardly a few days in New York and you have two women.”

“She’s just putting me up until I find my feet.”

“OK, this is what we do. You distract the woman. That will distract Hugo. We both head for the exits and disappear. Its a busy station with lots of people.”

Full of misgiving Oengus stood and paid the waitress as he passed out of the barrier separating the cafe from the rest of the dining hall.

Dearg Due watched him pay and felt pleased. Time to spring the trap.

She was about to signal Hugo when she realized Oengus was smiling at her and heading in her direction. She frowned at this development but waited to see what would happen.

Hugo gave a nod to his gang and they watched, waiting for a signal to move in.

John slipped into the cafe kitchens and headed for the service exit.

The Greyman saw John make his move and signaled Leanan. They moved swiftly but they were at the far side of the concourse and John went out of sight as they moved across.

“Hello young man, why are you smiling at me?” Dearg Due asked as Oengus approached.

“Darling,” Oengus said and kissed her full on the mouth, holding her head in both hands. Still sitting on her stool, Dearg Due kicked out with both legs and sent Oengus sprawling out of the sushi bar and into the main concourse. Hugo and his guys moved swiftly and grabbed Oengus.

“She’s Magic,” Oengus said, looking towards his uncle John and then realized John had vanished.

Dearg Due was feeling a physical shock. Never before had a man just come up and kissed her full on the mouth. She felt a storm of anger and yet, there was something in the kiss. She wanted him, she wanted to drink him, No she wanted...”

“The Uncle went out through the cafe kitchen,” the Greyman hissed as he arrived.

“Get him,” Dearg Due replied.

People watched as Hugo and two of his gang held Oengus but no one interfered.

“Come,” Dearg Due said and Hugo followed bringing the dazed Oengus along.

The Greyman and Leanan and the rest of Hugo’s gang sped in through the kitchens in pursuit of John. But he was not to be found.

“I guess he came in that way and went out the whatever way he came in,” Leanan suggested.

“At least we have the boy,” the Greyman said.

Puca Beag watched in surprise as Oengus emerged from the station in the arms of two large colored men. He wondered what he could do but he did nothing, as that was all he could think of. When they put Oengus into a black sedan he decided to follow and observe.