been a gun, just a finger poking me in the back. Sneaky Pete. He sat down on the floor abruptly, water spilling out of his mouth, scrabbling frantically with his empty hands. I considered him for a moment. Bounty hunter. Sneak thief. Peeping Tom and blackmailer. He might not have killed me himself, but he would have handed me over to be killed without a second thought… I sighed, placed my foot against his chest and pushed hard. Water gushed out of him, and after a series of really nasty choking noises, he started breathing again.
I let him live. I didn't like to think I was getting soft, but… maybe I needed to convince myself that I wasn't my mother's son.
I left the toilets and returned to the bar. I gave Alex Morrisey my best hard look. "I just had a run-in with Sneaky Pete in the toilet, and not in a good way. Is there perhaps something you haven't got around to telling me yet?"
"Ah," said Alex. "Yes, there's been a whole lot of bounty hunters in and out of here recently. Apparently the rich and very well connected families of the thirteen Reasonable Men you killed, for perfectly good reasons I'm sure, have got together and placed a truly impressive bounty on your head."
"How much?" said Suzie. I looked at her, and she shrugged. "Sorry. Force of habit."
I was about to say something sharp when fortunately my mobile phone rang. I answered it with my usual "What?"
"Taylor," said Walker, in his smooth and very civilised voice. "So glad you've returned safely from your little trip into the Past."
"Walker," I said. "Word does get around fast, doesn't it? I didn't think you knew my private number."
"I know everyone's number. Comes with the job."
"I am not going to come in and give myself up to you and the Authorities. I have important things to do."
"Oh, I think you will, Taylor."
There was something in his voice… "What have you done, Walker?"
"Only what you have forced me to do, to get your attention. I have reluctantly given the order for your delightful young secretary Cathy Barrett to be kidnapped. By now she will be in safe hands, being held somewhere very secure. Turn yourself in peacefully, and you have my word that she will be freed unharmed. But if you insist on making life difficult for me by continuing to defy me in this manner… Well, I'm afraid I can't answer for the young lady's continued well-being."
"You bastard."
"I only do what I have to, John. You know that."
"If anything happens to Cathy…"
"That's entirely up to you, isn't it? I regret to inform you that the people entrusted with this kidnapping bear you a considerable amount of ill will. The longer you take to come to a decision, the more likely it is they'll vent their spleen on her. And much as I might regret that… the situation is out of my hands. I have my orders, and my duty. Whatever happens…"
I hung up on him. He had nothing else to say worth listening to. He was only keeping the conversation going in the hope his people would be able to track my location through my phone. I explained the situation to Suzie and Alex.
"I can't turn myself in," I said. "I have to be free to operate if I'm going to stop Lilith. The whole Nightside's at risk, and maybe the world, too. But I won't, I can't, abandon Cathy."
"Of course not," said Suzie. "She's your secretary."
"Your friend," said Alex.
"My daughter," I said. "In every way that matters."
"Then we must go and get her," said Suzie. "We can't give in to threats like this. If people thought we could be pressured into doing things, they'd take advantage. So go on, Taylor. Do your thing."
I raised my gift, my single supernatural inheritance from my inhuman mother, and opened up my Sight. And through my third eye, my private eye, I looked out over the Nightside, searching for Cathy. I can find anyone, or anything, if I look hard enough. I don't like to use my gift too often, because when I do I blaze so brightly in the dark that I am easy to see. And then my Enemies send agents to
I let him live. I didn't like to think I was getting soft, but… maybe I needed to convince myself that I wasn't my mother's son.
I left the toilets and returned to the bar. I gave Alex Morrisey my best hard look. "I just had a run-in with Sneaky Pete in the toilet, and not in a good way. Is there perhaps something you haven't got around to telling me yet?"
"Ah," said Alex. "Yes, there's been a whole lot of bounty hunters in and out of here recently. Apparently the rich and very well connected families of the thirteen Reasonable Men you killed, for perfectly good reasons I'm sure, have got together and placed a truly impressive bounty on your head."
"How much?" said Suzie. I looked at her, and she shrugged. "Sorry. Force of habit."
I was about to say something sharp when fortunately my mobile phone rang. I answered it with my usual "What?"
"Taylor," said Walker, in his smooth and very civilised voice. "So glad you've returned safely from your little trip into the Past."
"Walker," I said. "Word does get around fast, doesn't it? I didn't think you knew my private number."
"I know everyone's number. Comes with the job."
"I am not going to come in and give myself up to you and the Authorities. I have important things to do."
"Oh, I think you will, Taylor."
There was something in his voice… "What have you done, Walker?"
"Only what you have forced me to do, to get your attention. I have reluctantly given the order for your delightful young secretary Cathy Barrett to be kidnapped. By now she will be in safe hands, being held somewhere very secure. Turn yourself in peacefully, and you have my word that she will be freed unharmed. But if you insist on making life difficult for me by continuing to defy me in this manner… Well, I'm afraid I can't answer for the young lady's continued well-being."
"You bastard."
"I only do what I have to, John. You know that."
"If anything happens to Cathy…"
"That's entirely up to you, isn't it? I regret to inform you that the people entrusted with this kidnapping bear you a considerable amount of ill will. The longer you take to come to a decision, the more likely it is they'll vent their spleen on her. And much as I might regret that… the situation is out of my hands. I have my orders, and my duty. Whatever happens…"
I hung up on him. He had nothing else to say worth listening to. He was only keeping the conversation going in the hope his people would be able to track my location through my phone. I explained the situation to Suzie and Alex.
"I can't turn myself in," I said. "I have to be free to operate if I'm going to stop Lilith. The whole Nightside's at risk, and maybe the world, too. But I won't, I can't, abandon Cathy."
"Of course not," said Suzie. "She's your secretary."
"Your friend," said Alex.
"My daughter," I said. "In every way that matters."
"Then we must go and get her," said Suzie. "We can't give in to threats like this. If people thought we could be pressured into doing things, they'd take advantage. So go on, Taylor. Do your thing."
I raised my gift, my single supernatural inheritance from my inhuman mother, and opened up my Sight. And through my third eye, my private eye, I looked out over the Nightside, searching for Cathy. I can find anyone, or anything, if I look hard enough. I don't like to use my gift too often, because when I do I blaze so brightly in the dark that I am easy to see. And then my Enemies send agents to
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