The Brimstone Deception (12 page)

I couldn't resist. “What? You didn't have him working at Bacchanalia?”

“His mother, my oldest sister, would skin me alive herself.”

Oldest sister. That implied more than one. “Sounds like a nice lady.”

“You have no idea. She was against him coming here from the beginning. I will have much explaining to do.”

“If Jesin wasn't afraid of you yesterday and is today—”

Rake's eyes tightened in disapproval. “He wasn't carrying a kilo of Brimstone from the scene of a murder yesterday.”

There was a soft knock. The door opened a crack and Karen stuck her head inside.

“Excuse me, Agent Fraser, Mr. Danescu, but Ms. Sagadraco would like to see you both.”

I couldn't say I was surprised. Karen probably had a standing order to let the boss know whenever an agent asked to use a conference room for a chat with a perpetual suspect.

I wasn't in the least bit nervous. Alain Moreau had already told me that he and Ms. Sagadraco were very pleased
with my job performance, so I wasn't having another what-the-hell-did-I-do moment.

Rake, on the other hand, had probably done, initiated, been directly or indirectly responsible for, or merely involved in so many nefarious activities that the concerned crease on his forehead was from trying to figure out which one all this was about. Was it about Jesin, Jesin's reaction to the mention of him, the murders, or Brimstone? Or something else entirely? I guess it was hard to cover your ass when you had so many irons in the fire.

We got into the elevator and the doors closed.

Both of us faced forward, neither saying a word.

“Makenna?”

I noticed he left off the “dearest,” “lovely,” or “beautiful” Makenna. Wise move.

“Yes?” I asked.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rake's lips twitch upward at the corners.

“Well played.”

ALAIN
Moreau met us when the elevator opened on the executive level.

Okay, maybe I was in a little bit of trouble. Rake was a suspect, or at the very least a source of information we didn't have but needed, and I had shared elements of an ongoing investigation. I'd be finding out soon enough.

Vivienne Sagadraco's office door was open, a table had been brought in, and there was her formal silver tea service, china cups and saucers, and those little cakes and pastries from Kitty's that always looked too pretty to eat. Either the boss wanted to lull Rake into a false sense of complacency, or we were going to be here for a while and we'd need caffeine and sugary snacks to get through it—Ms. Sagadraco's version of a civilized interrogation. I knew Rake could never be lulled into anything, but the boss was civilized, so I was going to go with the latter.

“Rake.” Not Lord Danescu. Ms. Sagadraco said it as
though the hand caught in the tea-cake jar had been his. But she still extended her hand for the requisite kiss. Rake didn't disappoint. “You could not have paid us a visit at a more convenient time.” Her sapphire-colored eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “This chat is long overdue. Agent Byrne will be joining us momentarily. Alain, would you please close the door and ensure that we are not disturbed?”

Alain gave Rake a level stare. “It would be my pleasure, madam.”

So much for who was in trouble, or at least more of it than I was.

If there was tea involved, Vivienne Sagadraco would make pleasant small talk until everyone had been served. But now as she poured the tea, she made no effort at conversation: small, pleasant, or otherwise. She was like a Southern lady in that regard: if you didn't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all—at least until the individual in question wasn't around to hear you.

Yep, this was going to be a civilized interrogation.

“In the interests of complete disclosure,” she began, “anytime an agent asks to use the Saga Investments conference room, video and audio recording is activated for the duration of the meeting.”

So Karen had not only told the boss, she'd flipped the AV switch. I was kind of glad that she had. I wouldn't have wanted to summarize
that
exchange for Ms. Sagadraco.

The door opened and Ian came in.

“Have a seat, Agent Byrne. We were just getting started.”

“The lab's completed the first part of their analysis,” he told her. “Dr. Cheban sent the preliminary report to you. They're still isolating the individual ingredients, but they've determined enough to know what the drug is supposed to do. She'll forward the ingredient list as soon as it's complete. Though she did confirm that one of the ingredients is actual brimstone. And one of the murderers is a demon lord.”

I glanced at Rake to get his reaction.

One perfect eyebrow, slightly raised. He may have been shaken, but he wasn't stirred.

Ms. Sagadraco reached over to her desk for her tablet. She scanned through her e-mails and opened the report. We were silent as she read.

Ian typed a few words on his phone, then tilted it so I could see:
Saw the tape. ; )

Jeez, had they been playing it in the break room? I didn't know what the boss thought, but Ian approved—or at least he'd found it entertaining.

“Without the benefit of further testing, does Dr. Cheban believe the drug does what was intended by whoever made it?” she asked Ian.

“Yes, ma'am.”

“How many doses are contained in the sample we obtained from Mr. Nadisu?”

“Hundreds.”

Rake made a low sound in the back of his throat.

I didn't know if he'd intended it as a groan or a growl, but either way I think I understood why Jesin wouldn't want to see his uncle right now.

Ms. Sagadraco finished reading and put her tablet on the table next to her cup. “Lord Danescu, in our laboratory is an impressive quantity of a drug that our chemists believe would enable any elf or goblin who inhaled it to see through glamours and read minds.”

“Damn,” Rake muttered. “They did it. They actually did it.”

“I take it you were aware of their efforts?”

“I'd heard rumors about their efforts, but nothing about their success.”

Ian spoke. “According to Dr. Cheban, the drug works for elves, goblins, and humans. However, and fortunately for us, humans don't remember what they saw while under the influence.” My partner gave Rake a less than friendly look.
“Goblins and elves would recall everything, which leads Dr. Cheban to believe that it was developed for use by either goblins or elves. For humans who aren't aware of the supernatural world, seeing through glamours could easily be misinterpreted as hallucinating and thinking you were seeing monsters, which is what happened in the restaurant yesterday.”

Ms. Sagadraco took a sip of tea, and then carefully set the cup and saucer on the table, leveling her gaze on Rake Danescu. “I believe it is time that you told us what you know.”

The goblin had put his elbows on the arms of the chair and had carefully interlaced his fingers in front of him. Interrogation Posing 101.

“I had heard that the elves were attempting to develop a drug that could enable them to spot any undercover goblin agent by sight, and detect any goblin spies or elven traitors by thought. Conversely, it would also let goblins see and hear any elven agents.”

It was said that elves and goblins originated from the same ancestors. Just never say that out loud to either one. Hate was a mild word for how most elves and goblins felt about each other. At least in our dimension they'd stopped trying to exterminate each other, settling instead for hostile corporate takeovers—with only minimal bloodshed.

“I imagine both goblin and elven intelligence would give or do anything to get their hands on the Brimstone formula,” Ian noted coolly.

Rake didn't take the bait. “If it was a stable and viable formula, then yes, there would be considerable interest.”

“And competition.”

“What are you getting at, Agent Byrne?”

“Only that you appear to be in a unique position to hear of any interest or competition—and possibly even have a member of your family unwillingly pulled in.”

Nice that Ian gave Jesin the benefit of a doubt. Might have even earned a point or two with Rake.

At that, Rake regarded Ms. Sagadraco, his expression unreadable. “Vivienne, I would be willing to share what I know in exchange for my nephew's safekeeping here.”

What that implied about the situation in the city didn't bode well for any of us.

By all accounts, Rake was one of the most powerful dark mages in New York, perhaps
the
most powerful. For him to ask for help protecting his nephew by keeping him in here meant the situation out there was even more dangerous than we could have imagined.

“While we were upstairs, Makenna alluded to a connection between the murders and properties I own, and by association, myself. Her suspicions may not be unfounded. If so, at this time, Jesin would not be safe outside of this complex. I know that Sar Gedeon was the first victim. Who was the second?”

“Gedeon wasn't the first victim,” Ian told him. “The killers started at the bottom of the ladder and have been working their way up. The most recent victim—at least that we know of—is a goblin by the name of Kela Dupari,” Ian said.

Rake closed his eyes for a moment.

“I take it you knew her?”

“A foolish woman who routinely toyed with and taunted powers beyond her ability. The same actions can be ascribed to Sar Gedeon.”

“What are their connections to you?”

“Both were actively involved in the drug industry, not only in New York but down the entire East Coast to Miami. Contrary to what you may believe about me, I am
not
involved—actively or otherwise—in any drug industry. Aside from Ms. Dupari and I both being goblins, we have no connection or association. That being said, an elf and a goblin, both prominent in locally based crime families, were brutally murdered in buildings that I own. This could be a coincidence, or an attempt to frame me, or at the very least cause me substantial inconvenience and embarrassment.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “People get their hearts and souls ripped out and you're embarrassed because it happened in your buildings?”

“Yes,” he said matter-of-factly. “You must admit neither death was unwarranted given their past professional activities, and their removal will no doubt make the city a safer place.”

“So now you're playing Batman?”

“The costume would suit me, as would the nighttime activity, but no.”

“Your nephew can stay here regardless of what information you share or do not share with us,” Ms. Sagadraco said. “We will care for him as if he were one of our own. It's called decency. I know you're at least familiar with the concept. Your cloak-and-dagger dramatics are affecting and endangering others, and one of those others is Makenna. I assume you have heard what happened yesterday afternoon?”

His expression hardened. “I did.”

“My agents are charged with protecting the supernaturals and humans of this city from any and all threats. Brimstone is a threat—both its manufacture and the battle among opposing forces for the right to sell it. My agents and the people of New York are caught in the middle. I arm my agents with what they need to do their jobs. A vital part of that armament is information. I believe you have this information, if not all of it, at least more than we have.”

“Mac could have been killed yesterday in the same way as Gedeon and Dupari,” Ian told Rake, his tone low and forceful. “Or even worse, dragged through that portal.”

“I am more than aware of that,” Rake shot back. “Which is precisely why we're having this conversation. Vivienne, from what I
do
know, neither you nor your people want to be involved in this. It is beyond their abilities.”

“This, as you so obliquely put it, is precisely why I founded SPI. This is my world, Lord Danescu. I live here,
all
the time. I will defend it to my last breath. Can you say the same?”

Silence.

“As to my agents' abilities, I know their capabilities, you do not. You know what they would face, I do not. You tell me what is happening in this city, and I will be the one most qualified to make that assessment. Though from what I know of my agents, you have seriously underestimated them.” She glanced at me. “All of them. You have yet to choose a side. It's understandable. One is the world of your birth, ours is merely a place of business.”

Rake recoiled as if Ms. Sagadraco had slapped him, which I think was what she was going for.

“Or is it?” she continued. “If you have not made up your mind, it is time that you do so. You can help, or you can continue to hinder. You can no longer do both. Which will it be?”

“Very well.” Rake leaned back in his chair. “Elves have been in your dimension far longer than goblins. Their established foothold forced us to play catch-up, strategically speaking.”

Ian barked a humorless laugh. “Strategically speaking? You make it sound like you're planning to take over.”

“Not take over, Agent Fraser. Merely ensure that the elves don't gain access to a resource—and thus an advantage—that we do not gain for ourselves. Much of what is called magic in the Seven Kingdoms can be replicated by science and technology here. Some cannot be replicated. Elven extremists have worked to gain power and influence here to obtain such technology for use against my people. It pains me to say it, but there are similar groups among my own race. Goblins and elves have been at war off and on for thousands of years.”

I was dumbfounded. “You're saying elf-terrorists-trying-to-get-nukes kind of advantage?”

Rake actually smiled. “That would be extreme even for these people. They want to annihilate the goblin race, not render their kingdom uninhabitable. In their minds, that would be a waste.”

“Thank God for small miracles.”

“Both of our races use the excuse that we're merely trying to stay ahead of the other to protect our own people.”

Ian sat back. “Brimstone's the source of the latest tug-of-war.”

Rake nodded. “There are more than a few companies and laboratories run by both elves and goblins that develop drugs, weapons, and technologies to use against the other. Such organizations are routinely infiltrated to steal formulas, sabotage research, copy new technology. Much like human industrial espionage. Brimstone would allow select people to see through the glamours these corporate spies use to hide their identities, as well as detect spies by their thoughts.” Rake poured himself another cup of tea. “Brimstone would be a valuable commodity for whoever has it. If it is effective, it would be worth killing for. From events of the past two days, apparently the drug is quite effective.”

“Elves, goblins, and vampires have been killed by a demon lord and something worse than a demon lord,” I said. “So who made the drug?”

“I suspect the individuals you need to pursue are not those who are physically manufacturing the drug. At least they wouldn't be your primary target. Brimstone—the ingredient itself—comes from the Hell dimension, making it particularly difficult to get.”

“Not necessarily. Marty picked up a couple of rocks on a field trip,” I noted.

Rake's teacup paused halfway to his lips. “I beg your pardon?”

Ian regarded the goblin with a knowing expression. “You know a lot about spies, espionage, and strategic advantages for a billionaire playboy, real estate mogul, and owner of an exclusive sex club.”

Rake almost smiled. “Successful and undetectable espionage isn't cheap, Agent Byrne. Some of the buildings I own have been leased to elven companies and research facilities. I made the financial terms and incentives impossible to pass up—as would any developer vying to get a profitable client in
a previously vacant building. Refitting the space to suit their needs presents all sorts of opportunities for installing undetectable surveillance equipment. The income from one building often pays for another; and the revenue from my other businesses funds the buying and bugging of those buildings. As you humans say, sex sells. It also makes an absurdly impressive amount of money. More than a few key elven power brokers spend time—and their money—in my club, little knowing that they're funding intelligence operations against themselves.”