Chapter 97
Warwick’s Saloon sat on the corner of Pennsylvania and Thirteenth Street. It was a long, skinny building, frequented by plenty of political bloodsuckers, and lots of the undead kind, too. Jamie had heard stories about some of the humans who had fallen into the wrong hands in the cellar of this particular place, and while he’d vowed not to be the one suckered into going below ground anymore when he could help it, he could imagine it wasn’t the most pleasant of places.
“Our mission is pretty simple tonight,” Carson had reminded them earlier at the meeting. “We go in, get Fritzy, get out. No one else sees anything, if we can help it. The last thing we need to do is stir anything up.”
“Got it,” they’d all agreed. Besides Jamie and Kit, Carson’s team consisted of two other Hunters, a dashing blond man by the name of Wes, and a youngish red-headed woman with a bulbous nose known by the nickname Big Nose Lee. The other Guardian on the team was a pretty woman who looked to be in her early-forties, though Jamie assumed she was much older, with long dark brown hair, named Teresa. Jamie really liked working with her; she was a good teacher, and he felt like he’d learned a lot about how to let the Hunters do their job while still keeping them safe just from working with her the past few years.
It could be difficult operating with more Hunters than Guardians, and Carson had been attempting to recruit more of the un-killable type for several years, but most of his recruits didn’t want to stay in Washington. With all of the politics involved, it was difficult to keep the city clean. There were plenty of Hunters and Guardians who worked directly for politicians who could afford them, not necessarily realizing exactly what sort of protection they were paying for, and while part of those funds went to the organization at large, Carson’s team was responsible for keeping the rest of the city safe. There also just happened to be plenty of associates on the security forces that protected the president.
Jamie often wondered if Carson only put up with him for his skills. Perhaps if he had any idea about the true nature of his relationship with Kit, or what Jamie assumed it still was, notwithstanding the fight that they’d had earlier, he might’ve been willing to let Jamie go. As far as Jamie was concerned, he and Kit were already man and wife. She just needed to agree to it.
They stood outside of the club in the shadows, watching the light in front of the doorway shift as people came in and out. She was wearing britches, not tight ones, but not the wide legged kind Margie had started out wearing either. Her top was more like a dress that went down almost to her knees, but Jamie still couldn’t help but stare at her shape when he thought she wasn’t looking.
“How long do you suppose it will be before we’re sent in?” she asked, clearly trying to make small talk without having to acknowledge the fact that she’d been angry at him all afternoon.
“Not sure,” he replied with a shrug. She was standing slightly in front of him, and he admired the way the dim light glinted off of her hair, making her locks appear golden brown. “Probably won’t be much longer.
Fritzy had been operating in the area for several months now, having moved this direction from Richmond, Virginia, once she was forced from her usual hunting grounds by a band who wanted to move her along more than destroy her, apparently. She was known for being quite deadly, and as Carson had said, the goal was to take her out as quickly and quietly as possible.
Luckily, their team had Teresa available to run interference, should something go awry. The first time he’d seen her stand in the front of a room and convince every single person sitting there that what they’d just seen, a Hunter rip a Vampire’s head off, was a magic show, simply an illusion, Jamie was stunned. She could use her power of persuasion better than anyone he’d ever seen. So even if something went wrong, at least no one would walk out of the tavern tonight thinking they’d seen what they would otherwise deem to be impossible.
Lee and Wes were in the establishment already, drinking in the back, pretending to be a couple. Teresa was inside, having convinced the owner to let her take a turn as the pianist for the evening, and Carson was waiting across the street, ready to signal Jamie and Kit to proceed whenever Fritzy showed herself. They would be the lead team, which meant that Kit would be responsible for taking out Fritzy while the other two Hunters covered the back. Teresa would keep them safe if necessary. Jamie would stay with Kit and provide support if necessary. She usually didn’t need it. Despite her humble beginnings, she had become quite the deadly weapon in the last few years.
Unable to control himself, Jamie reached out and placed his hand on Kit’s shoulder. She pulled away slightly, as if she might shrug him off, but she didn’t, and he took a step closer to her. He kept his eyes on Carson, not wanting to miss the signal, but the thought of touching Kit was also tempting.
“When we’re done,” he whispered into her ear, “will you come to my place?”
“You know I shouldn’t,” Kit replied, her voice even more hushed than his. “We shouldn’t….”
“How can we not, Kit? You know that I love you.”
She turned to look at him, her eyes large, and Jamie thought perhaps he saw the beginnings of tears there, but whatever she was about to say, it would have to wait. Across the street, Carson gave the signal, a flick of his white handkerchief up in the air, and it was time for them to move in.
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