The Book of Death (Bourbon Kid 4)

cop’s holster. It came out smoothly. This was his chance. He
could feel his heart beating fast and his hands trembling. Was he really about
to do this? To shoot the Bourbon Kid in the back? And save Jessica from his
wrath once and for all? He took a deep breath and raised the gun, pointing it
at the back of the Kid’s neck. Before he had a chance to squeeze the trigger he
heard a beeping noise behind him. Someone’s cell phone had gone off.
    The Kid spun around to see where
the beeping sound had come from. He ignored Sanchez and walked briskly past
him. On the floor by the sofa was a cell phone. The Kid picked it up. He still
didn’t seem to have realised Sanchez had a gun. The tubby
bartender-cum-replacement cop once again pointed it at the back of his neck and
readied himself to fire. The Kid was reading a text message on the phone.
Whatever it said, it riled him up. He threw the phone across the room and it
smashed against a wall. Without looking at Sanchez he spoke.
    ‘Put the gun down, you fat
bastard.’
    Sanchez lowered the gun, but
didn’t drop it. ‘Whose phone is that?’ he asked the Kid.
    ‘Beth’s. She’s gone. She’s
fucking gone.’ He turned to face Sanchez, his face revealing a look of
desperation. ‘Next time you decide to nurse someone back to health, try
checking to see if they’re a vampire first, you dumb fuck.’
    ‘Huh?’
    ‘Give me the gun.’
    Sanchez held out the gun and the
Kid snatched it from him and checked to see if it was loaded. Something Sanchez
hadn’t done. After checking the barrel and noting that it was indeed loaded he
looked back up at Sanchez. ‘Where does Jessica live?’ he asked.
    Sanchez shrugged. ‘Don’t know.’
    The Kid pointed the pistol at
his head.
    ‘She lives in Cinnamon Street.’
    ‘Last chance.’
    ‘Casa de Ville. She said she was
staying at the Casa de Ville.’
    The Kid lowered the gun and
shoved Sanchez hard in the chest, knocking him back against the wall. He headed
for the window and began to climb through it.
    ‘Where are you going?’ Sanchez
called after him.
    ‘Where d’ya think?’
    The Kid vanished through the
window and out into the snowy streets below. Sanchez breathed a sigh of relief
as he looked around at the dead bodies in the apartment. There was no way
Jessica could have killed these people. Nor could she possibly be a vampire as
the Kid had intimated. It had already been reported that a man had killed
Silvinho, so the only logical explanation was that he had killed the others
too. And now he was going to kill Jessica.
    Sanchez would have to warn her.
And get The Book of Death back to her.

 
    Twenty-One

 
    When the flashing blue lights on
the ambulance outside Remington Tower came into view up ahead, Dante steered the
stolen police car off the main road and down a back alley. He parked up next to
some industrial sized wheelie bins and turned off the engine.
    ‘Why are we parking here?’ Kacy
asked.
    ‘Discretion.’
    Kacy gasped loudly and grabbed
his hand. ‘Oh my God. You’re like Skynet!’
    ‘What?’
    ‘You’ve become self aware.’
    ‘What are you talking about?’
    ‘You’ve learned to be discreet.
You couldn’t possibly believe how proud of you I am right now.’
    ‘You’re taking the piss aren’t
you?’
    ‘A little bit.’
    He pulled his hand away from
hers and climbed out of the car. By the time Kacy had jumped out of the car
too, he was at the end of the alley staring around the corner into the street.
Kacy caught up with him and peered over his shoulder.  
    There was a crowd of people
loitering around by the ambulance outside Remington Tower, although there was
no sign of any actual ambulance crew.
    ‘What d’ya think?’ Kacy asked.
‘Is it worth a look?’
    Dante didn’t answer. He was
staring across the street at something. Kacy looked at where he was staring but
could see nothing unusual.
    ‘What is it?’ she asked.
    Dante stepped out of the shadows
provided by the alleyway and pointed at a car across the street. ‘That’s the
Bourbon Kid’s car,’ he said. ‘He’s here somewhere.’
    ‘That would explain the
ambulance then,’ said Kacy. ‘He’s probably killed someone.’
    ‘I hope so. If he’s back to his
old self and killing innocent people again then he might be a really useful
ally to have. Let’s go check out his car. I’ll see if I can break in to it.’
    Kacy was unsure of the benefits
of breaking into the car, but she knew Dante just loved doing