BLOODBURG Read online

  Joseph sighed. “Excuses, excuses.”

  “I know,” Marcus replied, sounding defeated.

  “Okay.” Joseph closed his eyes and raised his hands up and out from his body. “Erearvo a’poluptiano,” he breathed, and within seconds, the struggling aircraft slowly levelled out.

  Allie looked out the window and noticed the rain seemed to have vanished. The air was dead silent and completely calm. The tension in her body melted away as the plane smoothly descended. When the wheels hit the runway, Joseph opened his eyes and Allie could once again see the steady flow of rain pour over the top of the wing while the powerful gales of wind blew against the side of the aircraft as the plane taxied toward the terminal.

  “Marcus really needs to be more confident when he flies in the rain,” Joseph said, taking off his seat belt and walking over to inspect himself in a mirrored closet door. He pulled a lint roller out of the closet and ran it over his tuxedo, carefully making sure he’d gone over every inch. “We’ve got about five minutes before we get to the terminal. You might want to freshen up.”

  Allie moved toward the restroom in the back of the cabin. “How did you stop the rain like that?” she asked, checking her look in the vanity mirror.

  “I didn’t.” Joseph chuckled. “I just made a tunnel of air for Marcus to fly through so we could land safely.” Allie’s awkward silence told him she didn’t understand the concept. “Think of it as a very long, straight tornado between the plane and the runway with a pocket of calm and tranquil air in the center. All Marcus had to do was fly right down it.”

  “Oh, is that all?” she said sarcastically, fiddling with her small makeup bag. “You make stuff like that sound so normal…as if it’s always so simple and just your everyday routine.”

  “Well, I’ve been doing things like this for centuries, so I guess you could say it has become a little repetitive.”

  “That’s my point,” she said calmly, adjusting her wig in the mirror. “None of this is normal for me, and I need you remember that.” Allie stared directly into Joseph’s unsettling eyes. “All I’m saying is that if I’m going to help you, I need better communication. That’s all. Otherwise, I might not know how to react when you do something I’ve never seen before. I don’t want to screw up and accidently get us killed.”

  “Fine,” Joseph said as he approached her. “But I really need you to trust that I know what I’m doing. I know that the things I can do seem very unusual to you, but I don’t have the proper time to explain every single ability I have. If I can, I will. Deal?”

  Allie nodded. “How do I look? Good?” she said, smiling hopefully.

  “Yes…you’ll definitely pass as a trophy wife,” he replied confidently, adjusting his purple-tinted glasses.

  Allie took a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming her nerves. “Okay. What do I do?”

  “Have fun.” Joseph smiled and opened the exit door. “Shall we?” He held out his arm, and Allie slid her gloved arm through his.

  “What about Marcus?” she asked.

  “I’ve instructed him to stay with the plane just in case.”

  They descended the stairs to a long walkway that was protected from the elements by pearly-white sheets of plastic hanging on either side. The walkway led into a small hotel that was connected to the terminal. As they walked through the lobby, Allie was surprised by the large number of elegantly dressed people sitting around chatting and drinking what she knew were expensive cocktails.

  “There sure are a lot of people here,” Allie said under her breath. “They don’t look like the type of people you mentioned before.”

  “They’re not,” he replied quietly, whispering just loud enough for Allie to hear. “These people are the rich and famous, the exclusive guests invited to come to this island and enjoy the extremely high-stakes casino and Broadway-quality entertainment. It’s just a front for the real business that goes on under the building where we are standing right now.”

  Joseph approached the concierge desk and tossed his and Allie’s passports onto the counter. “I believe we have a reservation for the fundraising gala later this afternoon. It should be under Joseph Beckemeyer and guest.” He smiled, slightly tilting his head.

  The woman behind the counter smiled, politely taking both passports and typing his name on the computer keyboard. “I apologize, but the room isn’t quite ready. Why don’t you have a seat in the bar and order a few drinks…on the house, of course, and I’ll have someone come get you the moment it’s ready.” She handed the passports back to Joseph.

  “Of course,” he said, tucking them in the inner pocket of his coat. “Thank you,” Joseph said pleasantly, holding out his arm for Allie.

  They headed for a table in the far corner of the bar. A waiter rushed over to greet them before they sat down.

  “Good afternoon. My name is Manuel and I’ll be your server today. What may I bring you to drink? Perhaps a look at our wine list is in order?”

  “Does Felix still work here?” Joseph asked politely.

  “Yes, sir, he does,” Manuel replied calmly.

  “Excellent!” Joseph called out happily. “He makes the absolute best VO Manhattans! I’ll have one of those, and the lady will have your best top-shelf champagne.”

  “Very good, sir,” Manuel said humbly, bowing and returning to the kitchen.

  Within two minutes, a muscular giant of a man dressed in an expensive tailored suit approached the table. “Good evening, sir…miss.” The burly security manager nodded politely. “My name is Vincent. I’m here to escort you to your room. Please…come with me.”

  Allie looked back toward the kitchen for a brief second, wondering what would happen when Manuel came back with the drinks and found the table empty. Remembering the conversation with Joseph on the plane, she knew better than to bring it up. She needed to start trusting him.

  They followed the colossal manager down a long hallway with gray marble floors and impressionist paintings adorning the walls. They got into an elevator, which was occupied by an older gentleman and two scantily-dressed women. As the two enamored women took turns kissing and groping the extremely happy old man, Allie’s feelings of glamour and elegance became frustration and disgust—almost as if she was back in the skeevy areas of Bloodburg.

  Joseph casually moved to the back corner opposite the threesome with Allie behind him. Joseph offered her the very corner of the elevator, acting as a barrier between her and the amorous group. Finally, the doors opened and the trio got out, leaving Joseph and Allie alone with their escort.

  When the elevator doors had closed again, the large man pulled out a key and slipped it into a barely noticeable keyhole at the bottom of the control panel beneath the lowest row of buttons. He turned the key slightly to the left, then to the right.

  Suddenly, the elevator descended toward the lobby and Allie trembled anxiously as she noticed the floor indicator lit at the ground floor, except now, they were still moving downward. The indicator flashed a steady A, which Allie could only assume stood for the location of the secret auction.

  When the elevator finally stopped, the doors opened, revealing yet another long hallway. But unlike the fancy décor she’d seen upstairs, this hallway was lined with men in dark clothing clutching assault rifles to their chests.

  Joseph and Allie followed Vincent to a steel door at the very end of the hall. Joseph removed his glasses as he focused on a scanner in the wall to the right of the door. After a few concentrated red beams moved across his pupils, the small screen flashed his name in bright green letters, signaling that the retinal scanner recognized and authorized him as a guest.

  “My dear,” Joseph hinted to Allie as he moved away from the scanner.

  Allied walked over and mimicked Joseph by putting her head in the same spot he had. Instantly, the red beams moved across her eyes, momentarily blinding her. At last, the display flashed Allison Pritzker in bright green letters.

 
; “Enjoy the auction,” Vincent chirped, typing a code on the doorway keypad. The door clicked and slid open.

  “Thank you,” Joseph replied, handing him several one-hundred-dollar bills before again offering his arm to Allie.

  Allie smiled silently, ignoring the man in the suit as she took Joseph’s arm and walked through the doorway. The atmosphere in the room was closer to what Joseph had originally described, but much more quiet and calm than she had expected. They were surrounded by tables piled with guns, large armored vehicles, museum-type displays, nude women behind glass in dim lighting, and a large assembly of chairs in the very center of it all. Allie heard classical piano music playing softly. She peered around, counting barely more than a few dozen attendees, including the staff.

  Joseph and Allie had just entered the private gathering when a boisterous and flamboyant man dressed in a black and white striped satin suit rushed over to them.

  “Joseph, my friend!” he clapped. “I’m so glad you made it.”

  “Martino!” he replied, holding out his hand. “I’m absolutely sure that you are.” Joseph chuckled heartily.

  “Oh?” Martino clasped Joseph’s hand, shaking it enthusiastically. “And what does that mean?” he coyly raised his eyebrow.

  “You know I always drop a ton of money when you host these events, don’t I?” Joseph grinned slyly.

  “Yes, you do, and I love you for it,” Martino said, slapping Joseph’s shoulder before backing away and eyeing Allie up and down. “Hmm…now what is this attempt at fashion supposed to be?”

  “It’s by a new designer named Jean-Jacob Goudreaux,” Joseph said proudly. “Local guy trying to get a foot in the industry. I’m thinking of investing.”

  “Well, I hope for your sake that this…monstrosity…is not an example of his best work.”

  “Of course not.” Joseph laughed heavily. “You don’t think I’m going to show off his best work at a place like this. Someone like you might just try and steal it from me.”

  “You know me too well.” Martino laughed loudly. “So, what are we bidding on this evening?” he whispered conspiratorially under his breath as he leaned in toward Joseph.

  “I heard rumors of some barely-used printing plates that were decommissioned when the government redesigned the fifty-dollar bill to add the new anti-counterfeit inks.”

  “You’ve done your homework, I see,” Martino replied, looking around the room to make sure no one was close enough to hear him. “Well, if you do happen to win them tonight, let me know. I have a good lead on the original ink used in the mints before they changed that, too.”

  “I wouldn’t expect any less from you, my friend.” Joseph chuckled. “Always looking for the private deal on the side.”

  “I have to make a living, you know,” Martino said melodramatically.

  “I’d be more than happy to take that merchandise off your hands. I’ll definitely be in touch,” Joseph said reassuringly.

  Martino smiled and then looked over Joseph’s shoulder, motioning for a waitress to bring a tray of champagne over to them. “Enjoy the evening, Joseph.” Martino bowed and then walked off to mingle.

  Within a few seconds, a scantily-dressed cocktail waitress held out a tray of drinks to Joseph.

  “Thank you, my dear,” Joseph said politely, selecting two glasses from the tray. When Allie reached for one of them, Joseph slightly pulled it back toward him, eyeing her sternly to wait until the waitress was far enough out of earshot.

  “Towacha ollerali,” he muttered. Joseph stared at both glasses for a few seconds before handing Allie hers. He held up his glass in a toast, “To our health.”

  Allie smiled and clinked her glass against his before taking a small sip.

  “Now then,” Joseph began walking, softly pulling her along. “There’s still a good hour before they start. What would you like to check out first? There are representatives from each of the top drug cartels in the world over there,” he said motioning toward the tables on the far side of the room. “I hear they give out free samples.”

  “No, I think I’m good.” Allie smiled, shaking her head in disbelief.

  “Me, too. I’ve never thought it was financially responsible for anyone to bid on narcotics while completely under the influence of the products themselves. It clouds your judgment and you end up over-bidding.” His eyes quickly scanned the room, trying to find something that might catch Allie’s interest. “Well, I know you’re not a fan of human trafficking, weapons, or armored vehicles…how about antiques and assets?”

  “Sounds wonderful,” she said mockingly.

  Joseph led Allie toward a large group of spot lit waist-high platform tables which displayed a myriad of mysterious objects. As they examined the items, Allie noticed each piece was behind glass that was thicker than bulletproof bank windows. On each platform, there was a large gold plate engraved with the description of the item, its auction number, and the starting bid.

  There were a few religious relics, apparently stolen from the world’s most sacred locations, along with a couple of Egyptian artifacts that Allie had only seen the likes of once on a television documentary on tomb-raiding. But as for assets, most of the items were nothing more than displays of precious gems, extremely rare minerals, or expensive sets of jewelry that had been stolen from royal families all over the world.

  They spent the better part of the next hour slowly walking around the display cases, observing each one for a few minutes before moving on to the next, until finally stopping in front of the one item Joseph was anticipating—the wreckage from the bounty hunter’s spaceship.

  Joseph leaned in closer to the display and picked up the magnifying glass on the side of the platform. He stared at the wreckage for a few minutes and then started laughing, shaking his head in disbelief. “Do they honestly think anyone is stupid enough to believe this pile of junk is actually from outer space? What a waste of money!” he blurted out loudly while turning and staring at Allie intently—obviously wanting her to play along, hoping to lure out the bounty hunter.

  “So…you’re saying it’s not real?” Allie asked, taking a closer look. “You never know. It could be?”

  “I’m sure it’s just some salvaged pieces left over from a military test plane welded together to look like an alien artifact,” Joseph replied mockingly.

  “Well…I kind of like it,” Allie added, acting slightly standoffish. “It would be a nice conversation piece. I know that Maisie Cambridge doesn’t have anything like that, and she’s always boasting about her private art collection.”

  Joseph tried to hide his smile after hearing her improvisation. “Well, I’m not bidding on that for you. I’m sorry, darling, but your friends would only laugh at you for owning something so ridiculous. How are you even supposed to verify that it’s really from outer space?”

  “That’s true, but you can’t verify that those religious artifacts are actually related to God Himself either, right?”

  “She has a point,” a sharp little voice said from the other side of the display. “Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I know for certain this object is from outer space. So, I fully agree with your lovely lady, here,” the eavesdropper said before peeking his head around the corner of the exhibit for both of them to see.

  “Of course, you would!” Joseph grumbled, staring at the man.

  “Well, maybe it’s because I’m right,” she argued.

  “No, darling. It’s because this gentleman will get a very large finder’s fee if someone buys it.” Joseph grimaced as the man walked around to their side of the display. He was a bald little fellow of barely five feet tall, wearing glasses with incredibly thick lenses. His suit was that of a mobster straight out of a 1940s movie. “Am I right?” Joseph asked.

  “You caught me,” he said playfully, raising his hands as if to surrender. “Dr. Peter Smith. How do you do?”

  “A doctor of what?” Allie asked.

  “Geo
logy,” he said proudly. “I’ve analyzed meteorites that have crash-landed all around the world, and I’ve found trace elements of metals that do not exist on this planet—”

  “Let me guess,” Joseph interrupted. “You’ve found those exact same elements in the metal from this piece right here,” he said sarcastically.

  “Darling, you don’t have to be so rude about it,” Allie chimed in. “Having an actual doctor give his scientific opinion is good enough for me. Maisie won’t be able to argue with that, now, will she?” Allie gave Dr. Smith a quick nod and a smile.

  Joseph let out a long, heavy sigh, glaring at the man. “It seems your sales pitch worked,” he grumbled before turning back toward Allie. “But I’m not bidding much higher than the starting price. If it gets to be too expensive, you’ll have to find something else to amuse Maisie and your other friends, and that’s final.”

  Allie nodded and forced a somber smile.

  “Well then.” Joseph held out his arm toward her. “The auction should be starting in a few moments, and I think it’s time we secure ourselves some good seats. I really hope I get paddle number nineteen this time. You know, there’s something about that number which makes me feel incredibly lucky.”

  Peter stared back in confusion as Joseph and Allie turned around and slowly walked toward the large group of chairs in the middle of the room.

  -14-

  Martino’s face lit up when he saw Joseph and Allie approaching.

  “My friend!” Martino gently rubbed Joseph’s shoulder. “I have something special for you,” he said, holding out a gold-plated bidder’s paddle.

  Joseph took the paddle and turned it over, smiling brightly when he saw the number nineteen etched in large black numbers. Joseph chuckled. “Martino, you remembered!”

  “Well, I know how superstitious you are,” he replied slyly. “Please, enjoy the auction.”

  “Thank you,” Joseph said, slapping Martino playfully on the arm.