Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4)

The next hour felt like deja vu. Once they were in the warming tent, they changed out of the white snowsuits for the gray, then headed down the pipe.

"Who put that pipe out there in the first place?” Natalia said while Moralis drove toward the port. “That's an odd place to put a pipe.”

"One year a bunch of guys decided to try cheating.”

"Cheating? At what?”

“Curling.”

"With a pipe in the water?”

“Those colored bands on top of the stones are metal. They decided that with a strong enough magnet they could influence the stones.”

“And did this work?”

"No."

Moralis laughed.

“They almost drowned themselves. The magnet was so heavy it drug two guys down. The metal on their scuba gear stuck on the magnet and they had to abandon their gear at the bottom of the lake to swim free. Didn't they both get pneumonia?”

"And a trip to the hospital,” Uri said. “And banned for life on the curling sheets.”

“Glad to hear it wasn't you two,” she said. “So now the pipe just sits there?”

"Only a small part of it is still connected to the sewer,” Moralis said. “The rest sits at the bottom of the lake just waiting to be reconnected and positioned.”

“I see. So how do you do that?”

"A couple of buoys and rope. It floats to the top of the water, under the ice all by itself. I just have to cut a hole in the ice and position the opening. Because of the angle, it drains by itself back into the sewer,” Moralis said.

"How convenient,” she said.

“I think this is only the second time we've used it,” Uri said.

“I don't want to know about the other time,” she said.

“We were just running amok,” Uri said with a chuckle.

Moralis pulled over to park.

“You'll go on the ship with me,” Uri said to Natalia. “Moralis will operate the crane.”

Only one guard was in the security shack. He had his feet up on a counter and was watching TV. Beyond him, the port felt even more deserted. There were a few lights up high, but mostly the place was dark. She knew that was of little concern to them since they could all see in the dark.

Moralis led the way at a fast jog. Then he swerved away from them toward the building where she had first sat. She figured that was the crane he was going to use. Uri headed straight to the gangway of the last ship he had been on. There was a light at the top of the gangway. He smashed it.

She felt tiny surrounded by the huge shipping crates. The crates looked like an impenetrable wall. She had no idea how they were going to get around, but Uri showed her how to jump up on the crates and navigate. She was surprised at how agile she now was, using little effort to follow Uri upward. He seemed to be aiming for one crate in particular. There was a crowbar jamming the door. He pulled it out.

Three sad looking teenagers rose from the bags they were sitting on when the door opened. Natalia could smell the blood meal and the faint smell of balsam. There was a flashlight on the floor. She had the feeling the batteries were spent.

"Did you find all the bags?” Uri said.

All three teens nodded, pointing at the bags they had been sitting on.

“We're moving them. Grab one up,” he said.

Each teen hoisted a bag on their shoulder. Uri motioned for her to take a bag as well. He also hoisted one up.

“Follow me,” Uri said. “You bring up the rear.”

He pointed to her. She noted he wasn't going to use any names.

The teens did exactly what he said.

Uri led them down the crates to the deck. The teens were less than agile, but managed to follow him. He led them over to a lifeboat.

“Throw the bags into the boat,” Uri said.

He climbed in and made sure each bag was set flat and spread evenly over the bottom.

“Back up.”

He led the way back. Natalia noted he changed how he ascended because of the teens. They still toiled climbing up the crates. Uri could almost jump up like a gazelle.

“Take another bag,” Uri said.

Down they went again. On the eleventh trip down, Uri's phone made a quiet beep.

“Man approaching’, Moralis said in Viperian.

Uri put his bag down and motioned for everyone else to drop their bag. The tired teens were quick to do so.

“Go to the other side of the crate and wait’, he said to her.

He grabbed one of the teens. She waved the other two around to the other side of the crate. “You're coming with me,” he said.

He pulled him to where he was out of sight of the other teens. She watched him do what she had never expected. He pulled the teen close, opened his collar, and bit him.

There was panic on the teen's face. Uri grimaced.

"You tell him what he wants to hear. Do what he says,” Uri said, pulling the teen along/

They quickly disappeared from view.

Natalia spun to look over the other two teens. They sat, looking dismal, subdued, and exhausted. She figured twelve hours in a shipping crate filled with blood meal had humbled them greatly. Plus, hiking up and down crates had worn them out. She was even starting to feel it.

“Where are the others?”

Natalia strained her ears. The voice was familiar. She could see that the teens beside her hadn't heard the voice. She stepped around the crate. Down by the gangway on the dock, she could see the man and the teenager. Uri wasn't in sight.

The teenager was wobbling. He shrugged in answer to the man’s question.

She wondered what venom Uri had used.

“What the hell are you high on?”

Natalia couldn't see enough of the man’s face, but she finally put a name to the voice. Of anyone who would have showed up, she would have expected Alfie. This wasn't Alfie. It was Kasseen, one of the other Council men.

The teen shrugged, looking like he could barely stand.

Kasseen lashed out. The teen dropped like a rock.

She held in a gasp. It wasn't long before she could smell the blood gushing from the teen's throat even from where she stood.

Kasseen trotted up the gangway faster than she would have expected an older man could go. She lost sight of him, but she found she was able to track his footsteps. The sounds of him ended at the shipping container they had been clearing out.

She heard a faint curse, then sniffing. He was tracking them. She backed up a few steps when she heard him coming her way. She wasn't sure what she should do. Killing a Council member didn't seem appropriate even considering the circumstances.

Kasseen rounded a corner and spied her. She already had her hand on her knife. He stopped. "What are you doing here?” he said after a long moment.

He didn't seem to recognize her.

She realized she was wearing the snowsuit mask. It covered her face.

“She's with me,” Uri said, coming up behind Kasseen.

Kasseen twirled, already armed with a knife, causing Natalia to gasp. However, Uri was prepared as well. A knife hit a crate just above Uri's shoulder and fell to the ground with a loud clatter. She hadn't even seen Uri throw, but Kasseen stumbled, then dropped heavily to the ground. A moment later, Kasseen shook and breathed his last.

Uri came around. He grabbed one of the teens and hauled him over by Kasseen. He kicked Kasseen over, so the teen could view his face. Natalia saw three knives sticking out of Kasseen's chest.

“Is this the old man who gives you Anna's orders?”

The teen was trembling, but was able to shake his head no.

“Who is he?"

“He... he tells us on what ships to load stuff.”

“What did he call himself?”

"K-kasy," the teen said.

“Are there any others that give you orders?”

The teen shook his head.

"Get the other one,” he said to Natalia.

"Out here,” Natalia said to the other teen.

She pulled him around by his arm and over to Uri.

"Anyone else you two work with?”

Both teens shook their heads

“These are not nice guys,” Uri said.

He gestured down by the gangway.

“Two of you are now dead. What you tell us will determine when you die.”

“We... we only worked with those two. The old man, Alfie, who gave us Anna's orders. Kasy only told us what ships to load the stuff on.”

"Which ships?” Uri said.

They both indicated the ship they were on, the other ship, then they pointed behind themselves. Uri headed that way pulling along the teen he held. The other automatically followed. Natalia brought up the rear. They all stopped when the third ship came into view. It was a tug boat.

"Alfie had us load stuff in the crates on the ships, but then Kasy had us move it to the tug boat.” Uri chuckled.

"Kasseen was double crossing him.”

Uri brought out his phone.

“These two ships and the tug.’

“Got it.’

“How do you know which bags to move?” Uri said.

“Th-they're marked with a cross.”

“Appropriate,” Uri said, turning to her. “Climb up high to find a good vantage point. Alert us if anyone else shows up.”

She nodded.

Natalia climbed up to the highest shipping crate. From there she could see all three ships, Moralis in the crane, and Uri with the teens below. She monitored the area while they worked.

She figured they must have finished loading the lifeboat because Moralis lifted it off with the crane He also lifted off one crate. Uri and the teens left for the tug boat. On that boat, she could see they were loading a large net. Moralis lifted the net off the tug boat. She couldn't see where he was putting them. Finally, Moralis lifted off three crates and one lifeboat off the last ship.

Four hours had passed.

"Come down, Nattie,” Uri's voice said over her phone.

When she climbed down the crates, she saw Moralis using the crane to lift Kasseen's body off the ship, but then lower it into the water. The water was bubbling around the ships, which she figured was to keep it ice free. The dead body of the teen that Kasseen had killed was already gone.

She met up with Uri on the dock. The two teenagers were there looking too tired to need much watching. In fact, they looked ready to keel over.

“All secured,” Moralis said, when he joined them fifteen minutes later.

"Excellent. Let's go party,” Uri said.

An hour later, they were back at the lake and changed into their white snowsuits. Uri led her out. The teens automatically followed.

"Hey, ladies,” Uri said, calling to a group of four women.

A woman that Natalia knew she had met, but could remember her name came over.

"Yes?" she said.

"Anyone want two more play toys?”

The woman looked over the teenagers.

“They already look well used.”

“Just a little physical labor is all,” Uri said.

“I'll take them. Someone might have a use for them. Come with me, boys. We'll get you a hot chocolate.”

Natalia couldn't believe how docile the teens were, and they followed her without a word. “They're not going to see the dawn, are they?” she said.

“Probably not,” Uri said. “You hungry?”

“Yeah. I could use a drink, too.”

Uri headed toward the row of vendors.

"Ooh, here. One ginger soda,” she said.

“I'll take one, too,” Uri said, pulling out money.

The next stall had skewered meats.

“Four’, Uri said.

The man ignored the meat on his grill and bent down to a cooler. Natalia saw him wrap four raw skewers in paper and hand them to Uri.

“Thanks,” Uri said as he paid.

Natalia didn’t say a word. She took her two skewers and enjoyed every bite. The meat was warm "What's it drizzled with? Bacon grease?” she said.

“Yeah. The best,” he said.

"Hey, Uri,” Grazie walked up.

The girls were behind him. They waved and smiled.

"Hey, Grazie," Uri said.

“Where's Tia?" Natalia said.

Grazie just smiled.

“Where's Moralis? Haven't seen him for a while?” Uri said.

He tossed his empty skewer into a nearby trash bin.

“Haven't seen him.”

“You girls look tired,” Natalia said.

“Mother went home already. We're staying out as long as we can,” Tracy said.

Zean yawned.

"Who are the cheaters practicing?” Uri said.

“You should throw a few. Everyone is,” Grazie said. “Teams are formed. You're with me, Moralis and Carson. He's the best lead.”

“Is Moralis skip again?”

“Yep. You want second or third?”

“I'll take third.”

"What are you talking about?” Natalia said.

"A curling team is comprised of four people,” Uri said. “Lead throws first. Then there is second, third and skip. Skip is like the captain of the team.”

"First game is seven am,” Grazie said.

"You better get some sleep,” she said, wondering what the time was.

“I had a nap already,” he said with a grin.

"We're staying until midnight,” Tracy said.

“That's only another twenty minutes,” Grazie said. “Go get all your stuff together.”

The girls shuffled off.

'Q 5, Grazie said, mouthing the words.

Uri nodded.

Natalia waved at Mag and Zena when they passed. They waved back.

“I'll go see if I can get in to throw,” Uri said.

"Go to sheet two. That's where the men can practice,” Grazie said, turning to head in the direction the girls went.

Natalia followed behind Uri to see.

“Nattie.”

She turned. Four of the Council women approached her.

"Hi, Kareen. Jada Lee. Friesa. Pearl.”

"Hadn't seen you. Wondered if you were here,” Kareen said.

“I've been here all day,” Natalia said. “At the crack of dawn. I've never seen curling before. Or even been on the lake when it's frozen.”

“Curling is sort of like chess on ice,” Kareen said.

“You've never been on the ice?” Pearl said.

“Not on the lake.”

“Do you ice skate?”

"Yes. I did skate some today. Met my father and Brianna.”

“Very nice,” Kareen said.

"Uri's gone over to practice. I guess he has a game at seven in the morning,” she said, feeling they were checking up on her.

“Uri's here?”

Natalia felt like that was a really stupid remark.

"He's the one who dragged me here at the crack of dawn to push snow.”

She almost rolled her eyes at them.

"Oh, yeah, I see him on the sheet,” Friesa said.

Natalia looked, but couldn't see what was really happening. She took the last sip of her soda. "Excuse me a moment.”

She headed toward a recycling bin and tossed in the can.

When she came back, the four had moved on, but Corean had come up.

"Hi, Nattie. Enjoying yourself?"

“It's been a busy day, but yes. It's been a lot of fun.”

“We'll have to teach you to curl, so you can be on a women’s team.”

Natalia nodded.

"What did they want?” Corean said in a whisper.

"Checking on me,” Natalia said, also in a whisper.

“They're pissed they can't track you.”

“Not my fault,” she said.

“No, it's not. Just keep your nose clean.”

“Both Uri and I know to keep lots of people around us to vouch for our presence.”

"Good girl. Enjoy the rest of the night.”

Natalia watched her go. She wondered if Corean was on their side or if she was another person following up on her for the Council or someone else. Tia did treat her as if she was on their side, but Natalia was going to play it safe either way.

Uri joined her.

“I still have it,” he said, looking pleased.

“I missed watching. People kept coming up to me. They were checking on us.”

“Lots are. I was getting that, too.”

“How long will this go on?"

She indicated all the people.

“All night. The curling games tomorrow are a big social event. No one wants the sheets messed up. It's going to be watched all night.”

"When are we going home?”

“Pretty soon.”

A man that Natalia had never met trotted up.

"Good throws, Uri. We'll take them this year.”

“Carson, this is my wife, Nattie.”

“Good to meet you. You'll see some good games tomorrow. Seven am. Don't be late.”

Carson jogged off.

"We can head out now,” Uri said.

He buzzed Bonnie.

“Actually, I'm right behind you,” Uri’s phone said.

They stopped and looked back. Bonnie was about ten steps behind them. A Viperian man was accompanying her.

"I drive for these guys,” Bonnie said to him.

“Uri,” the man said with a nod.

“Trevor,” Uri said.

“See you around,” Bonnie said.

Trevor left.

“I have the limo parked quite a distance away. You want to wait and I'll go get it?”

“No, we'll walk,” Uri said. “How are you and Trevor doing?”

Bonnie shrugged, but she winked and smiled at Natalia as she led the way.

“Mag and Zena are going to meet us.”

A few minutes later, they had caught up with them.

Mag and Zena seemed to be in a good spirits and didn't look tired at all. Natalia felt exhausted. "Seven am game?” she said. “We're not getting much sleep.”

Uri shrugged.

"You can nap between games.”

"Yeah, right.”

When they got home, it was a rush to get to bed.

She knew she fell asleep immediately, only to feel Uri tapping her nose.

“Call,” he whispered.

She stretched and followed him to the quiet room. A few minutes later, his phone lit up.

“Uri and Nattie here.”

“Moralis here.”

“Grazie here.”

“Mirren and Sophie here.”

“Mina here.”

“Tia here.”

“What do we have Uri and Moralis?"

“Go ahead, Uri,” Moralis said.

“We went to the ships. Found money. Four teenagers showed up and turned out to be pals with Anna. Alfie is the guy that tells them where to stash the bags of cash. We were relocating the cash when Kasseen showed up.”

There were a few exclamations of “What?”

“I sent one of the teens down to answer to Kasseen to see what was going on and why he had showed up. The teen didn't do so well, and Kasseen slashed his throat. He went to one of the shipping crates and saw we had emptied it. He went sniffing and we had a confrontation. Kasseen is now at the bottom of the port.”

“I moved the crates off the ships,” Moralis said. “I put orders on the crates to go to Viperia. They should show up in a week or so. That's all of what we found so far.”

“Based on the teenagers,” Uri said, “Alfie was giving instructions to the boys, pretending the instructions came from Anna. He had them loading the bags in the shipping containers, but Kasseen would come behind Alfie and have the teens move the money. Double crossing Alfie.”

“My word," Tia said.

"Anything else you two?” Mirren said.

“That's it in a nutshell,” Uri said

“Ditto,” Moralis said.

“Tia. Grazie?"

“Grazie and I tag teamed Sherri. She interacted with a lot of people at the lake, but nothing of suspicion.”

“Mina?”

“I had a team of girls who tagged after John. He had a long private conversation with both Alfie and Peter. John spent most of the day at the lake. He wasn't on duty. Alfie only stayed a few hours. Cora was never there. Peter spent a long time. He finally left about nine pm, but he went home.”

“What about friends of Cora?”

"Haven't uncovered anything,” she said.

"Do they have servants?” Natalia said.

"Yes. They have one maid,” Mina said.

“Who are friends with the maid?”

"Good idea, Nattie. I'll check that angle,” Mina said.

"Anyone have anything else?” Mirren said.

There were five seconds of silence.

"Good curling.”

The call ended.

"Good curling?” Natalia said.

Uri smiled.

“You'll understand tomorrow.”