Chapter 3
"Son of a bitch," I snarled. I looked at the article in the newspaper again. "Goddamn you Ben!" I yell in the empty office. "You lying bastard!"
What else could I say? Two weeks ago Ben had stopped in for a few days, and we'd had more fun than I could ever have with Zack. It wasn't all in the bedroom like it was with Zack. We'd gone out and met some people and he'd had fun in the club with the girls and me. Ben was always fun to have around in every way, shape and form. There wasn't a single part of the club I could go to now without knowing we'd had sex there at some point. The stage, the broom closet, on the bar, it was all incredible.
I'd kept him busy as hell for those three days. If he wasn't taking care of me, we were doing something, anything. But then he gave me a kiss and said he had some things to do, and that he would come back soon. That was a promise I was looking forward to him keeping. I think of all of them, Ben would always be the one I could come the closest to loving. Every now and then you meet someone you can accept as they are, and they accept you as you are. If you fuck them, people define the relationship as love. If not, it's a friendship. Whatever the truth is, ah, hell, truth is subjective. That's another Lydecker pearl of wisdom.
So despite the fact he was a great lay, and a load of fun to be with, the bastard had lied to my face. He'd promised not to kill in New Orleans. I'd only asked him not to once, and I was so busy trying to get his pants off, I didn't notice that the asshole was fucking lying to me. The proof was right here in the daily paper. I'd sat down with my coffee like I do every morning, and there it was. "Man Found Murdered in Swamp" the headline proclaimed.
For a murder to get front-page headlines in New Orleans, it has got to be spectacular. I mean, really spectacular. This one was. Somebody had tattooed a barcode on his neck, and chased him through the woods. I knew the barcode before I even saw it. Ben. Damn you. The unidentified man was found with his neck broken, and all his teeth removed. I knew where the teeth were. But, in a place where practically every church has a statue of Mary, finding the teeth would be impossible. If I wanted to look that is.
The article didn't say there was any other bodies found in a similar condition. So either he was the first, or dear old Lydecker was there keeping the story under wraps. Ben didn't have to worry about Lydecker catching him. I was going to kill his ass, after doing a Lorena Bobbitt.
I called a friend of mine at the police department. Detective Andrews and I had a special arrangement. He'd have freebies at the club, and I'd get information if I needed it. You'd be surprised at how often I needed to find out some quick information on someone. Andrews was married, but he just couldn't bring himself to tell his wife what he really wanted. My girls could give it to him just the way he liked it, and what was the harm in that? The ropes never left bruises on his wrists, he kept his sweet, innocent wife a good little Catholic Cajun girl, and I got what I wanted. I had to pay the girls out of my own pocket, but that was just the cost of doing business.
"Andrews here," he answered the phone. He sounded so tough. If he knew I had tapes of him in a dress…well, that was for another time if he ever tried to double-cross me. I may be honorable in my dealings, but I am not naïve.
"This is Topaz," I replied. "Do me a little favor. Look around you. Is there anyone there that shouldn't be? Someone acting like he owns the world?"
"You mean Lydecker?" he asked. Sweet Jesus, I felt my blood run cold the minute I heard his name so casually mentioned. He was here. I had to fight the urge to hang up the phone and run like hell. You think you're over it, but the minute you know he's there, it's just like I'm nine again, running for the perimeter fence.
"Listen," Andrews said, "He's with a group of feds and they're looking for someone. I was about to call you anyways because I heard your name mentioned. They think whoever they're after was with you."
"How many bodies in the woods have they found?" I asked. "Ones with barcodes on their necks? I saw one in the paper, but nothing else."
"Three," he said low. "This one got out by accident. Some kid found the body instead of Lydecker's men. They've been all over the bayou looking for corpses."
"Thanks," I said and hung up the phone. Ben hadn't lied to me. He said he wouldn't kill in New Orleans. He just did it right outside the city limits. That bastard. That's all I could say about him. That bastard. I needed to find him before Lydecker did. Where would he have gone? Think Topaz, I tell myself. If anyone can find that backstabbing son of a bitch, you can.
The answer was simple. He wanted to check out the other X-5's that weren't being good little solders. One of them might understand what he was doing, and want to be part of it. He knew I didn't care, but I wasn't going to go help him hunt. Yes, once I had liked it, but it was bad business practice now to be killing possible patrons. Ben wanted to know that he wasn't a nomaly, that there were others who liked it as much as he did. It wasn't something I would enjoy anymore, and I didn't feel driven to do it. I knew it disappointed him, but such was life. He enjoyed himself anyways, and I guess he left when the compulsion got too strong to ignore.
So who else wasn't being a good little solider? We had talked a few times on where the other X-5's were. Zack thought he kept everything so secret, but sometimes you found out things. Ben knew Jhondie was in San Francisco. He'd seen her waiting tables at a bar, but had left her alone. I had learned Max was in Seattle. Zack talks in his sleep sometimes when he's really tired. He talks about her. He'd muttered something about Seattle and crash and a pony. I only told Ben Max was in Seattle.
So that must be where he was headed next. He'd let Max know he was there, and see if he could get her into his game. That piece of lying shit. I grabbed the phone and made the first flight reservation for Seattle in the morning. Flights were expensive as hell, but I wanted to get there as soon as possible. The last body that had been found was thought to have been killed four days ago. That meant he would have a five-day jump on me, but I was going to find him no matter what.
I got up and went down to the bar. Victor was already behind the bar getting the place ready for tonight, and it was Onyx's turn to make sure the girls' room was ready for them. I usually made sure the costumes were ready, but one of the girls would help me and make sure things like makeup were stocked. Most places didn't do that, but I think it gave us all a sense of being together and family. I took care of my girls and they took care of me. It was a win-win situation all the way around.
I was heading down the stairs when I heard the front door crash in. Onyx screamed, and I heard people running around. I took off at full speed ahead, wishing Ben was here. If he wanted to kill someone, whoever made my girl scream would be a good start.