"Always seen myself as executive material," I barked at him. I stepped past and he tried to grab me. I heard a thump, then a sigh. I glanced back at Tiger and saw him tuck away a sap, then headed up the stairs. Tom Electric sat himself on the maitre'd's stool and pinned the man to the ground with an AK-97.
Zig and Zag took up positions at the top of the stairs while I led Raven deeper into the building. With a kick I splintered the lock on the board room door and boldly strode into the center of the room. I did remember the trap door and used the hall light spilling into the room to avoid its outline. All around me I saw hunched silhouettes leaning forward.
"Sorry to be interrupting, Brothers and Sisters. I never got to thank you for your hospitality before." I sketched a careful bow, ending it abruptly when my rib began to ache. "When I was invited to dinner I hardly expected to become the center of attention."
The Grandmaster's sable unicorn kill became illuminated as he spoke. "What do you want, Mr. Kies?" "I'm wondering how I get a bloodlock off a chrome-dome like you." I arched an eyebrow at him. "If I off you, do I get a chair on your board and have your ugly mug perched behind me?"
Brother Bear took offense at my tone. "You have no right to be here. Leave at once."
I swung the MP-9 in his direction. The single shot I let off passed just over his head, between the wings of his chair, and exploded the bear's head. "Damn, shooting high. That happens after you've had a hole blown in your chest."
"Your attempt at humor is not amusing, Mr. Kies." The Grandmaster sat back in his chair. "I can understand your anger. Will fifty thousand nuyen show you we're sorry?"
"Fifty K is a nice sum for the first installment, but I'll give you a break." I shrugged easily. "One time deaclass="underline" you give me the money and you stop the hunts."
"Policies of this club are'not your concern." The Grandmaster leaned forward. "If you are threatening us with war, you will find yourself on the losing side."
Raven came up on my right. "Will we?"
The Grandmaster nodded slowly and the other silhouettes aped him in silence. "We have the weapons and the money and the power to destroy you. You are nothing. No one will notice if you die. We offer to enrich you and give you your life. Do not press your luck."
"Luck is not part of this equation." Raven shook his head resolutely. He kept his voice low, but it still filled the room. "You are huntsmen and pride yourselves on having mastered the most dangerous creatures on the planet. You study your quarry. You track it and you take it." Raven's eyes pulsed with fire. "This time, though, you have been stupid, and all the material things you have will not afford you victory."
"Is that so?"
"It is. You hunt the SINless because they are insignificant. Within the shadows of this city, life is cheap and you know it. You think this makes you invincible because no one cares about your prey." Doc's eyes sharpened. "You would get more of a fight to protect the rights of rats to live in a tenement than you would to defend the lives of people like Albion."
"You make my case for me." The Grandmaster's head came up. "Those people are nothing. They mean nothing. We know it, those ignoble beasts know it. Their lives are worthless."
I saw where Raven was headed and his nod let me pick up the fight. "You're right, their lives are worthless. That means we can hand a gun and fifty nuyen to any of them along with your picture. See, the only thing you don't have going for you is numbers. There are more of them than there are you, and even if your security is good enough to pick up sixty or seventy percent of their attacks, you'll still be maggot-munchies."
I let out a chuckle. "And, hey, when they learn you're going to be hunting them anyway, we won't even have to pay them. If we offer a prize, they'll pay us for a ticket in the martial lottery."
The image of a bazooka-toting biped Bambi battalion shooting back at them did not thrill the membership in the least. "Doc, do you think we can get an all-night printer to start turning out hunting permits on our way back across town?"
"We can use the phone in the Rolls to start things going."
The Grandmaster sat back. "If these hunts that you allege to be occurring-but which we have never admitted taking place-were to stop…"
"And a schedule of reparation payments were made to the survivors of these hunt victims," Raven added.
"Quite. If this were to take place, then you would see no reason to take action?"
Raven nodded. "A list of persons and amounts to be paid can be in your computer by tomorrow. If you agree to meet it, I would consider the matter closed."
"Done." Raven looked over at me. "Is that satisfactory to you, Wolf?"
'"Cept for one thing, yeah, very satisfactory." I looked up at the Grandmaster. "When you next see Sister Snake, tell her we still have a date." I jiggled the MP-9. "Tell her it's flak-vest optional."
As we wandered back down the hallway and picked up Zig and Zag at the top of the stairs, I tried to figure out how I'd find Selene Reece. With her money and the connections the club afforded her, she could be hiding literally anywhere in the world. After today she'd know I was still alive and would dig her hidey-hole a little deeper.
And if that didn't make things tough enough, she'd know I was after her. Given her skills as a hunter, I had no doubt I'd be facing the most dangerous prey. Oddly enough, that did not concern me as much as I thought it would. The very fact that I could make a run at her meant she wasn't infallible.
Stepping into a warm rain as we left the club, I turned to Raven. "I won't make the mistake she did. When I do her, I'll make sure she's dead."
"I am certain that is what she intended to do with you, Wolf." Raven nodded at the shadows near the Rolls. "I don't believe she got that chance."
Stealth opened the Rolls' boot and shoved a rifle-case into it. He slammed the lid down with his flesh and blood hand, then stepped up onto the sidewalk. He said nothing, a flesh and chrome monument.
"Selene Reece is dead?"
The Murder Machine nodded once. "I'd heard rumors of a club that hunted people for sport. I decided that discovering it needed to be more than a project of leisure."
I shivered at his cold, mechanical delivery. "You learned that I was going to the club last night. You found me in time to kill Selene." "300 meters,600 Nitro-express, night scope, no rest."
Zag shivered. "Impressive shot."
I swallowed hard. "Thanks for the freebie."
"Amateurs kill for free." He popped open a compartment on his metallic left arm and tossed me a blue silk sachet tied with a lock of black hair. "I am a professional."
Through the silk I felt some coins4making up change from the ten nuyen I'd given him two nights before. From the second he'd seen Albion's body, Stealth had known what would happen. That was why he'd insisted I give him the money and why I'd had a guardian angel following me, waiting…
I looked up at him. "Was I your bait?"
"You were my patron."
I nodded, ignoring the growing ache in my ribs. Slipping the knot from the silk, I poured the money into my pocket. I offered Stealth back his trophy, but he shook his head. I tossed Selene's hair into the gutter, and as the rain washed it toward the sewer I realized that no matter how much of a predator you figure yourself to be, you can always be someone else's fair game.
Yeah, coins are archaic, but Stealth knows I don't handle new guns well…
If As Beast You Don't Succeed
I
When you come right down to it, there's no easy way to tell the woman you intend to marry that you're a werewolf. If I'd been a hit-man for the mob or had worked clean-up for yakuza enforcers or had even been a poacher out in the Tir, I could have told her straight out. I would have taken Lynn's hand in mine and said, "Look, there's something you should know about me. I've done some bad things in my life, but that's all ended now."