Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4)

“Drivers Guild members,” Bonnie said, grabbing a towel out of the limo.

"I thought that was disbanded,” Uri said.

“Don't believe everything Sherri tells you,” she said. “So why do you smell of fish.”

"Why is fish smell a problem?” Natalia said.

“Morals kept dinner as Undent as he could for Natalia's benefit.”

“Fish sauce,” Bonnie said.

"Fried veggies and dipping sauce,” Natalia said

“I love that too, but fish sauce is a red flag.”

"Why?" Natalia said, playing her part.

“The only thing that masks scents,” Bonnie said. “You could be reeking of kite, but put some fish sauce on you and eat a little too, and a Viperian will never smell the kite.”

“Is the limo dead?” Uri said.

He continued to keep an eye around them.

Bonnie wrapped all the knives in the towel, then walked around the limo, having to go around the trucks as well.

"Why is it so quiet?” Natalia said. “You would think an accident would bring out the gawkers. And where is your cleanup crew? Everyone tracking us should be worried that we've stopped for so long.”

“Good question,” Uri said.

“Clear the area,” Bonnie said, moving to head up the street.

She was still favoring her right leg.

“The limo is dead.”

Uri grabbed Natalia's arm and pulled her along. It was two blocks before they saw why the area was deserted. There were signs posted about a gas leak and a mandatory evacuation.

“This was planned,” Bonnie said, looking perturbed. “This wasn't because you smelled of fish coming out of Moralis’s house. This was planned before that.”

Uri pulled out his phone.

“Mag. What is the status of the house?”

He listened.

“Be on full alert,” he said. “I'll explain later. Let Zena and Kate know.”

He ended the call.

"House okay?” Bonnie said.

Yes”

Uri made another call.

“I need a lift. I'm at the intersection of Frapten and Coral.”

He ended the call.

"We're at...” Natalia said, seeing the signs at the intersection.

“We're still walking,” Uri said. “Keep going.”

They walked three more blocks when Tia's car pulled up. Bonnie got into the passenger side up front. Uri and Natalia got in the back.

"What the hell happened?” Tia said when she pulled away from the curb.

"You didn’t come up Frapten?” Uri said.

“No, I crossed over at twenty-fourth due to road construction signs.”

“I never saw any signs,” Bonnie said.

“Damn it, Uri. What happened?”

“Drivers Guild attacked us,” he said.

"You're kidding. That's still around?”

“Yes,” Bonnie said.

“I thought Guild members were sworn to secrecy?” Tia said, glancing at Bonnie.

“The hell with this,” Bonnie said with some anger. “This is wrong. When my own people want me dead... and an innocent Undent, I'm not going to be quiet about it. We were promised that the old ways of the Guild were over. This attack certainly looked like the old way of doing things to me.” "How do we handle this?" Uri said. “We can't pretend it didn't happen. The limo was left behind. And seven dead bodies.”

“I took pictures,” Bonnie said. “And I bet those dead bodies will be gone soon.”

“Unfortunately, we need to go to Sherri. She must be confronted. If she’s not doing this, then we need to get Viperia up in arms,” Tia said. “Shit, even if she is doing this we need to get Viperia up in arms.”

She brought out her phone.

“This is Tia. We need a Council meeting. Uri and Nattie were attacked by the Drivers Guild. I just picked them all up.”

She paused as she listened, then she ended the call.

"Who else knows you were picking us up?” Uri said.

“No one, except Mirren now knows. He's heading to Viperia as we speak,” Tia said. “I'm sure he'll alert everyone else.”

Natalia noted that Tia was driving toward Viperia.

"Count me in as part of your group,” Bonnie said. “My loyalties have changed. And that's for your ears only.”

“Noted,” Uri said.

“You smell of fish, too,” Bonnie said to Tia.

“I was at the dinner party with them,” she said.

"Anybody else reporting problems?” Uri said.

“Just you guys so far,” Tia said.

Tia pulled up to the gates of Viperia.

Natalia listened carefully when Tia spoke the word “open’ in Viperian. For the first time, she heard a word and not just a vibration. Silently, she repeated the word a number of times, committing it to memory.

Natalia was expecting them to go to Sherri's house, but that wasn't the building that Tia pulled up to. They weren't alone.

Natalia saw Mirren and Sophie get out of a car. She spied Kareen, Friesa, and Pearl of the Council. Tia led the way into the building. The room they ended up in had seating for nine in the front. There were tables and chairs circling a clear area in the middle.

No one spoke.

Soon, all the Council members were in their seats. Everyone that had been at Moralis's dinner party and Bonnie stood in the middle.

The last Council member taking their seat seemed to signal the start of the meeting.

"I take umbrage to the fact that I, Uri and Nattie were attacked this evening by members of the Drivers Guild,” Bonnie said in a clear voice while she stood ahead of everyone, facing the Council. She looked rather pissed.

“Do you have proof?” Sherri said.

She looked ill.

Bonnie brought out her phone and swiped. Pictures appeared on a wall. Everyone turned to look. There was a picture for every dead man, a picture of the bats, a picture of the two trucks rammed into the limo with both Uri and Natalia standing in the picture holding bloody knives. There was even a picture of the sign showing the mandatory evacuation.

“Can you explain this?” Bonnie demanded.

“I can only say that group controls the access to Hell. Someone or group was in Hell when they shouldn't have been,” Sherri said.

She turned to stare at Uri

“You control the Guild, Sherri. And you control my access to Hell. How many times have you sent me there in the last few days? Or weeks?"he said.

"How was your dinner party?” Sherri said.

Her voice was now accusatory.

“Rather nice until we left and got rammed,” Uri said.

Natalia was rather surprised at the next person who spoke.

“This was my dinner party,” Mirren said, drawing the looks of the rest of the Council. “I do remember suggestions, strong ones at that, for me to mend some family ties.”

Everyone looked at Uri.

"At Moralis's house?” Sherri said, sounding dubious.

“Moralis was so kind to offer his house as a neutral location,” Mirren said.

"And who was at this party? You call all this family?” Sherri said, indicating everyone in the middle of the room.

“I do believe Uri is my son. Tia is his sister. Grazie is the father of Tia's son. Nattie, of course, is Uri's wife. Mina is expecting another one of my grandchildren. Sophie has accepted me of late as a husband. We just moved in together. We are expecting a child. I do believe that makes them all family in one way or the other. Moralis agreed to be the moderator.”

"And why do you all smell of fish?”

“Such accusations,” Mirren said. “Our menu was to please everyone. I heard from Moralis who I assume heard from Uri about some of Nattie's preferences.”

“I provided the meal,” Moralis said.

"You're accusing everyone including Mirren,” Jada Lee said. “Are you saying that all of these people ate fish, so they could perhaps go to Hell? Are you saying that three pregnant ladies would even go to Hell? Would these men take them? Knowing this?"

Now everyone was staring at Sherri. This even sounded incredulous to Natalia, and she knew it happened.

“I also find this disturbing,” Kareen said. “I ask for a vote on who doesn't think this is disturbing that our own people were attacked by our own defenses?”

There was silence.

“I ask, very strongly, that you step down until after the birth of your child. You are not well,” Mirren said. “I also ask, very strongly, that we investigate this incident.”

“Do we not track both Uri and Nattie?” Friesa said.

There were various nods.

"Have they deviated from what they said happened this evening?”

“I sat parked outside the entire time. I track them as well. They never left the house. And as I look at my tracking system, I find them... right here.” Bonnie pointed at them.

“I second Mirren’s recommendation,” Friesa said.

“I third,” Jada Lee said.

“You are temporarily removed from the Council, Sherri.”

“I wish to recommend a temporary replacement,” Uri said.

“You can’t recommend yourself,” Mirren said rather briskly.

“I had no intention of recommending myself,” Uri said with an undertone of ire and a flash of his eyes.

Natalia knew this was their game. They played it well.

“I recommend Tia. A woman should replace a woman,” he said.

“I second the recommendation,” Bonnie said. “Ill recommend it too if you need someone without a family connection.”

"Tia needs to agree to this,” Mirren said.

“If the Council agrees than I will agree to be nominated,” Tia said.

“Gentlemen?” Mirren said, indicating the other three Council men.

Natalia had never been introduced to them.

“Peter?” Mirren said.

“Approved.”

“Kasseen?” Mirren said.

“Approved.”

They all looked like a typical Viperian man. All of them were middle aged. Mirren looked to be the youngest.

“Alfie?” Mirren said.

“Approved.”

“Ladies?” Mirren said. “We need a unanimous vote.”

“Approved,” they all said together.

Sherri's face turned stony.

"As you wish,” she said, rising.

She left the room. Natalia saw Anna join her mother and help her out of the building.

It wasn't until the door closed did any one speak.

“Tia,” Kareen said. “As a new member of the Council, do you swear on a bite that what had transpired here this evening is true?”

“I swear that a dinner party occurred. That family ties and relationships were discussed,” Tia said. Natalia had to agree that what Tia said was true and she found herself nodding.

“And what were the results of this discussion?” Kareen said.

“Mirren?” Tia said, waving a hand toward him

“I'm pleased with the coming of grandchildren. I find Nattie pleasant and a good wife for Uri. Uri and I have agreed to be... civil.”

“Very well.”

Kareen pulled up a tablet and showed the other members.

“We have people at the site of the attack,” Kareen said. “There are no bodies. And no trucks. No signs indicating the evacuation. However, the limo is there and damaged. There are a lot of people showing up to return to their homes. We also saw your pictures and based on the time this occurred and your arrival here, there was no way you could doctor pictures that quickly.”

Bonnie spread out the towel that contained all the used knives.

“I have blood samples, if you like,” she said. She also unsheathed her rapier in her umbrella. "We'll take those. Do you have names?” Frieda said.

“Yes,” Bonnie said with a nod. “I knew all of them.”

Her face was rather stern.

“Who did the kills,” Mirren said.

"One by me, one by Nattie. The rest Uri got.”

Kareen and Mirren stepped down and joined Bonnie. In low voices, Bonnie discussed which knife killed who. Both Kareen and Mirren sniffed the knives. Then all the other Council members joined them and did the same.

“I hate to have Uri be without his knives, but we will need to hold on to these for a while,” Kareen said.

“I have enough,” Uri said.

“I have another umbrella,” Bonnie said.

“The Council needs to meet and discuss these events. The rest of you can go,” Mirren said.

“I'm without transportation. Tia brought us here,” Uri said.

Tia tossed her keys to Bonnie.

“I'll call to have you pick me up,” Tia said

Bonnie nodded.

Everyone, but the Council members filed out of the building.

“Shit,” Moralis said when the door closed behind them. “You three alright? Bonnie, you're limping.” “Just a twisted ankle.”

“Sorry for the fish sauce snafu,” Moralis said.

Natalia had the feeling a show was still being put on.

“This was not caused by fish sauce,” Uri said. “Do we need to be worried about further attacks? Bonnie?”

"With Sherri stepping down, we shouldn't be. But if she wasn't directing them... It's anybody's guess.”

Everyone said their good nights and left for their respective cars.

Uri sat in the back, while Bonnie slid into the driver's seat. Natalia sat up front.

“Get the limo towed and into the garage if you can,” Uri said. “I'll use my car until we can get the limo fixed or a new one.”

“There are rentals,” Bonnie said.

"Unmarked might be good,” he said.

"Yeah, Viperians know what is Viperian,” Natalia said.

“Didn’t know your vision was that good,” Bonnie said.

“Never said it was,” Natalia said.

“I see,” Bonnie said.

Uri chuckled.

“And not so innocent. She has two kills under her belt.”

“No one should underestimate her,” Bonnie said.

“I think someone has,” he said.

“Who?” Natalia said.

"Everyone else,” he said.

“So what's happening in Hell,” Bonnie said.

“You weren't with me the last time I went,” he said. “There was a gang patrol, but not any more. Wondered what they were guarding. I suspected a kite factory.”

“That place smelled pretty strong of kite, so I would agree with you there.”

Bonnie made a turn. Natalia knew they were only a few blocks from home.

“Hold on while I make a call,”

Bonnie said. She brought out her phone.

“Mag. Open the garage door for the limo.”

Bonnie turned onto their street and then up the laneway. The garage door where the limo usually parked was just going up. Bonnie pulled the car into the garage.

When the garage door closed, Natalia could see Mag, Zena and Kate in the garage.

“What happened?” Mag said as soon as they got out of the car.

They all looked concerned.

“Drivers Guild took out the limo,” Uri said.

"What? But that's disbanded,” Zena said.

“That's Tia’s car,” Mag said.

“Yes, she loaned it,” Uri said.

“Why do you both smell like fish?” Mag and Zena said at the same time.

Uri threw up his hands and headed into the house.

“I didn’t know that was such a problem,” Natalia said. “Dipping sauce. I didn't know that was forbidden within Viperian Society.”

“Not... forbidden, but is causes suspicion,” Kate said.

"We're both tracked,” Natalia said.

Bonnie jerked her head toward the guest house.

“I'll bring you girls up to speed. Good night, Nattie.”

“Thanks, Bonnie. Good night, everyone.”

Natalia headed into the house. Uri was nowhere in sight. She went up to the bedroom, but she didn't see him there either. The closet door was ajar. She stepped in to put her hand on the wall. The tie rack slide over. Uri was on the phone. He pulled her in and shut the door.

“It's just Nattie,” he said into the phone.

He tapped and it was on speaker.

"Go on.”

“It's located in sector 42. In a garage. I didn’t think they would have it anywhere else but on a ground floor,” Moralis's voice said.

"Sector 42. Housing. Which house?”

“There's only one street light in Sector 42. Single garage. Right there. They're scared. They like light. Plus you can't miss the drag marks going into the garage.”

“I remember. I know where,” Uri said.

“There's going to be an explosion in about... three hours. We're taking out the factory and all the inventory. We're going to hit them every day. On Monday we'll send out the audit notice.”

"Good timing. Right after a Sunday.”

“There will be lots of cash they need to get rid of and we hope they go throw it into the safe.” “When are you taking it out?”

"A few minutes after Monday ends.”

"After the explosion that place might be tight.”

“We'll have the new entrance finished in an hour or so. We'll be able to get in and out undetected.” “With a two-ton safe?”

“We have more distractions planned. Both A’ppollo and Viperia will be busy.”

“I hope Tia can finish her end,” Uri said.

“Yeah. Thanks for getting her involved with the Council.”

Moralis didn’t sound happy.

“We now have an ear in the Council. A female one that's going to hear what Mirren doesn't hear. Tia's the best option.”

"Yeah, your right. Sorry. So much to do.”

“Things are progressing in the right direction,” Uri said. “I'll let you go. Thanks.”

“Yeah, your welcome. Bye.”

The call ended.

"What's happening?”

“Kite factory is going to explode. The Church has a safe hidden in Hell that we found. They've been under reporting all of their cash receipts. The Church is required to provide a monthly balance sheet to all their parishioners. We've seen it. We know it's bogus. We're going to take that safe.”

“They under report so they always look like they need money.”

"Yes. They keep their bank accounts lean, too. I should know, they have their accounts at the Main Bank. Taking the safe will hit them hard.”

"What's Tia doing?”

"When we do our last strike against the Abbott and the Abbess, we need a place to hide the nuns. About thirty-five nuns are imprisoned within the Church.”

"Wow."

Natalia found her head spinning with all that was happening.

“Why did you move us in the limo? Did you know they were going to ram us?”

“The middle of the limo is reinforced due to its construction. No police within a two-mile radius is rare unless something is up. Plus there was no other traffic. Something was fishy, and it wasn't fish sauce.”

"A ramming was inevitable then?”

"Yeah."

He pushed her out of the quiet room.

“Let's shower and smell less of fish,” he said. “It's even bothering me.”