Ruby Callaway: The Complete Collection by Erikson D.N. & Erikson D.N

Author:Erikson, D.N. & Erikson, D.N. [Erikson, D.N.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Watchfire Press
Published: 2017-11-15T05:00:00+00:00

6

Hour 3

They say old habits die hard. If that’s true, vengeful ones die harder. It didn’t take much to push me in the direction of the final three names. And the promise of learning more about the Tributary—and where Harcourt had sent Roark—was enough of an added carrot.

I looked at the broken window and rubbed my bleeding hand from where Carrie Sanderson had clawed at me with her sharp nails. Phoenix stretched below, most of the tall buildings looking like miniatures. Up here, at near-penthouse levels, it was a long way down. A shattered Ming vase lay near the queen bed.

Death by an antique purchased with blood money.

That certainly qualified as chaos.

I’d already taken care of two of the last three people responsible for Pearl’s death. Rupert Bancroft, an FBI agent looped in with Jameson Denton. I’d found him drinking his face off in a Midtown dive bar. A knife to the throat after he’d copped to making the initial call to Pearl for the fake gig had ended his time on Earth.

Then there was Carrie, a real estate broker living in a posh apartment on the outskirts of the MagiTekk district. Her part of the setup—recommending a complex that would make for a suitable kill and capture zone—had paid off handsomely.

Oak paneled doors. Exotic hardwood floors. Granite countertops. This life had been her reward for sending Pearl and me into the perfect trap, like cattle into a slaughter chute.

But she’d paid for it, in the end.

My watch beeped, announcing the passage of another hour. I pressed it into my arm, feeling the needle’s slight pinch. I stepped over the debris and headed into the kitchen for a glass of water as the effects of the shot rushed through my bloodstream. Taking a breather, I pulled out Malcolm’s note one final time.

The first two names had been easy. The final one—the mastermind—would prove more difficult.

Jameson Denton’s address was in the heart of the MagiTekk district. That meant heavier security and more complications. Waltzing through the front door wouldn’t be an option. MagiTekk was a lot of things—but stupid and sloppy weren’t two of them. With an FBI warrant out for my arrest and the recent scandal, they’d be extra careful with their prized personnel.

Jameson qualified. He’d been the one to put the bullet in Pearl’s head. Spearheaded our capture—a rival bounty hunter looking for a leg up in the business. He’d found it: a handsomely paying gig for MagiTekk, while I rotted inside a camp.

My phone buzzed as I finished the glass of water.

It was Alice calling.

Before I could say a word, she said, “Did you see the news?”

“Malcolm Roark’s the new CEO.”

“No, that’s old.”

I looked at my bleeding hand. “I’ve been kind of busy.”

“He’s threatening a weapons test against an unspecified target if the investigations continue.” Alice was practically breathless. “He’s crazy.”

“What?”

“That’s all the press release mentioned,” Alice said. “Law enforcement is split on the response. Some want to give in. Some want to raid MagiTekk’s HQ right now.”

That sounded unlikely.

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