A Journey of Black and Red

A Tale of Thieves

“It’s the last job Kate, then we can retire. Get that land you dreamed of and never work another day in our lives!”

Kate crosses her arms and turns her head wistfully. Her instinct had never failed her, and, right now, it told her that it was a ‘Bad Idea’.

“It’s too risky. We can just hit a few more banks and use the cash to disappear.”

“Not smart, darling. You never know how many rich folks you can piss off before they send the Cabals after you, and without a specific fence we would have to sell the stuff at a discount.”

“The Hell’s Gates are held by vampires, Chris. Not mages or mundane humans. Vampires. You know what they say.”

“We’ll just leave them to their games and blood drinking with the other guests. No need to get close. We get in, do the job, then get out. One hour tops. We already have someone in.”

“Griggs?”

“He did it, yes. The mark will leave him a uniform.”

Kate stood abruptly. The simple bed of their rented room creaked under the sudden move and Chris backed off with a yelp. She held an accusing finger under his nose.

“You took it! You took the contract!”

Her brown ringlets shook with fury.

“You did it behind my back!”

Chris brushed his scruffy blond hair back, giving her a disarming smile. The gesture used to make her swoon. Now it only made her mad.

“Don’t you try to act cute! You took such an important decision without checking with me first? You know we cannot back down on a contract with one of the covens!”

“Relax darling, everything’s already planned. You only need to get in and do your magic, as usual. We’ll take care of the rest.”

Kate seethed in silence. She hated this heist. She also hated that she was dismissed and that Chris had gone ahead without her approval. He had always been the brain of the outfit, but things were supposed to be different now. They were supposed to be a couple and a couple did things together, not behind each other’s back.

“This is the last time, Chris.”

“It is. I promise.”

Kate wanted to believe him.

The cellar under their safe house was Chris’ domain. He was moving with confidence from the table to a map pinned against the wall, then to the supplies spread on the ground near the entrance. Never did he look more alive than when he planned a deed. Under the pressure, he would gain an intensity that Kate loved. His passion was infectious and affected the whole group, pushing them to outdo themselves. It was that fiery passion that had captured her heart.

Sometimes, a small voice would tell her that Chris was not meant for the family life she envisioned, that he would wilt without the constant challenges that the criminal life brought him. She would push it away, but it would keep coming back.

“Let’s start with the introductions, since we have a new member joining us tonight,” her lover started with a dazzling smile as the group gathered around the table.

“Our newcomer is Father MacCormick. He will be covering us if things go wrong.”

Kate eyed the latest addition to their merry band. The father was a man in his fifties with a white beard wearing the black and white collar of catholic priests. Her aura control was decent for someone without formal training, and she could tell he was a mage like herself. There were not a lot of caster priests that she knew of, but, well, it was a big world out there.

“The good father will cover our retreat from the vampires if things go south. He assured me that crosses stop them. Isn’t that right, father?”

“Not stop them so much as slow them down,” the man grumbled, “you don’t stop vampires at night. You hold the cross and hope they don’t find a way to flank you before you close the door.”

“Have you faced one before?” Kate asked.

The older gentleman stared at her with undisguised annoyance. His next comment dripped with disdain.

“Since you lot allow women to interrupt your discussions, I will oblige. Some associates and I faced what they call a Courtier. We managed to wound and repulse him, but not before he managed to gut one of us. And it takes silver bullets to hurt one to begin with,” he continued as he opened his vest to reveal a pistol’s handle. “We didn’t even see him move. That’s what we’re dealing with if they find us out.”

“Father MacCormick will only join us on the last leg of the missions. If it looks like we were made before that, we bail.”

“Let’s not get carried away. I need the money,” their old time partner Griggs added with a radiant smile.

Kate made the mistake of meeting his eyes. The green pools captured her in their murky depths, and she felt herself drifting before she regained control. She shook her head. It was not his fault. He could not control it, she told herself.

Another part of her whispered that he made no effort to do so, and that she would not trust him around any woman she knew. She silenced that voice as well.

Griggs shook his handsome face, long dark hair fluttering artfully.

“I guess it’s my turn then, old man. I’m Griggs. I’m the infiltrator. I’ll get us through the first part of the mission.”

The priest frowned.

“You wield power as well,” he stated. Griggs’ answer was to flip a card from the deck he always kept, one of the many queer habits that rubbed Kate the wrong way.

King of Hearts.

“There are many who find me irresistible.”

Only because he left them little choice. In a perfect world, someone would have gouged his eyes out. Only Chris’ promise that he would never touch her soothed Kate enough to trust him on a heist, if barely.

“And I am Moreau, nice to meet you,” the only dark-skinned man at the table interrupted with a disapproving glare. Moreau had been the mover of the team for almost two years now. Kate was unsure as to why he kept working with them. She believed it had something to do with money, since he still had the same ratty clothes despite the hauls they had already made.

“Moreau will stay with a carriage next to our exit and make sure that we do not dally. As for my dearest Kate, she has a special set of skills that will get us in the basement,” Chris continued smoothly.

“Does she, now?” MacCormick asked with clear doubt.

Kate felt anger settle as a tight ball inside her stomach, but she would not say anything. It annoyed her that Chris let a newcomer doubt her skills, just as it annoyed her that he would introduce her instead of letting her do it herself. She settled with crossing her arms and looking as disdainful as she could. It worked, if the stupid priest’s reddening face was any indication.

“And now for the plan!” Chris exclaimed with an enthusiasm that no friction could shake.

“Our dear Griggs made contact with one of the attendants. He convinced her to hire him for the occasion as a waiter. Fortunately, their staff includes several groups working together so an unfamiliar face will be nothing too strange.”

“I also worked there for three days preparing the stage and nobody noticed anything. There are more than forty members of the staff slaving away to accommodate the guests right now,” the infiltrator added, flipping a Jack of Spades from his deck.

“They won’t notice a thing.”

“While your confidence is commendable, my dear Griggs, this only concerns the upper floors of the complex,” Chris continued with a disapproving tone. “There are two stories above the main ground, plus a small attic under the roof. The auction will take place there, in a circular room at the heart of the building. The pieces will be brought one by one from the underground vault under escort. We will intercept it on the way.”

He moved to the wall and started pointing at a map. The pinned papers showed the main floor and an expansive basement.

“Griggs will get in first and work normally. When the auction begins, Kate and I will come in as regular guests.”

Their two seats had cost them three hundred dollars, Kate thought bitterly.

“We will join our lodge first, pretend everything is normal. Then Kate will feign sickness and Griggs will escort her to the infirmary situated right next to the main entrance to the lower level. She will do her thing and bypass their security when their alarm deactivates, which is every time they open the doors to let an item through.”

“How do you know all of this?” MacCormick asked with some doubt.

“Alva is part of the retinue of the organizer, a vampire named Isaac. She was made aware of their security protocol in case she needs to evacuate,” Griggs explained.

“And the vampire just told her?”

“She has served his, errr, clan, for her whole life. Her defenses were solid, and she even had a protective amulet. He must have trusted her quite a bit but as I mentioned, I am irresistible.”

That meant that he had used his full power. After Griggs finished with Alva, she would be a babbling wreck.

The violation bothered Kate on a deep level, but she told herself that the woman deserved it for serving a monster. What person in their right mind would work for an abomination? Alva had made herself an enemy of mankind and she would face the consequences. That was all there was to it, really.

The thought comforted Kate somewhat.

“She confessed everything. We know most of their security measures, except for the vault. Which is why we won’t go in there,” Chris explained.

“Kate will follow the main corridor… here,” he continued, showing her path on the map, “then turn right into the first room where Griggs will have left a spare uniform and a key under the cupboard.”

“Why not use the trick that gets her past the guard in the corridor?” MacCormick interrupted.

“It’s exhausting,” she curtly replied before Chris could do it for her.

“Right. MacCormick, there will be time for questions afterward. The servant uniform will allow Kate to move relatively unimpeded. They have one patrol and a pair of maids who are supposed to stay there for the whole night. The disguise will serve well in avoiding their attention. Though, make sure that they don’t get a good look at you,” he told Kate.

“In the meanwhile, Griggs will return to the main room so as to not attract attention. Kate will go there,” he added while pointing at a specific spot.

The group bent over the table to inspect the small room leading to what appeared to be a tunnel.

“The ground here is very wet. The basement was modified to redirect humidity to a reservoir in this room, which they empty regularly through that passage here. It leads outside. The key opens the secured gate between the two. Do not lose it, because the gate is heavily enchanted and you won’t be able to open the door without it.”

“Understood. But why not open the escape tunnel from the outside?” Kate asked.

“An alarm will trigger if the key leaves the compound. Now, the tunnel I mentioned doubles as an escape path leading all the way to a canal. I will exit the building and link up with Moreau and MacCormick as soon as Kate is through. We will circle around, and the priest and I will get in through the emergency exit. Once there, we will wait and intercept the people carrying the Heart on their way to the exit. They function by pair, with one pair carrying goods up with the other patrolling the basement. They swap with each new item.”

His expression grew more serious.

“This is obviously the most delicate part of the heist, but we have little choice.”

“It does sound risky,” Griggs mutters while biting his thumb. He mechanically flipped a card. Two of clubs.

Kate shivered.

“Not that risky,” Chris calmly stated, “the basement is sound-proof and only has four guards at any time, two of whom will stay in front of the vault at all times. The basement is large enough that a small scuffle could remain unheard. After we disable the carrying pair, we will have some time to escape via the emergency exit. This is also where the plan branches. If it looks like we are made at any point before that, we escape, but if we manage to grab the Heart, we can escape even if the alarm is rung. You see, the entrance can be blocked by leaving the key half-turned in the lock, from the outside,” he finished with a ghastly smile.

“That sounds like a big oversight,” Kate remarked under her breath.

“That’s what Alva said,” Griggs answered and the other laughed as if it was funny.

They amused themselves for a few seconds, before Kate’s glare pushed Chris to resume the briefing.

“Right. We all leave through the exit except Griggs who will just stay long enough not to arouse suspicion before leaving on his own. We reconvene here after the deed. Any questions?

“How will you disable the guards?” Moreau asked with a frown. He was the most adverse to loss of life after Kate.

“MacCormick has a disabling spell and I have my truncheon. The guards will be caught off-guard. They are well-trained but they are not mages and should have no adequate defenses against spells.”

“How is their security looking? It won’t help if the vampire goes to pick up the Heart in person,” MacCormick commented while consulting the map.

“They have around two dozen guards, most of whom will be outside or patrolling the upper floors. As for the vampires, Alva said that they would remain around the guests.”

“Vampires? Plural?” the priest answered with obvious concern.

“There will be three of them. Isaac is the organizer, and he will present the items himself, therefore, he should not leave their auction room. The second one is called Doe and he acts as the muscle. Big guy. He looks like he wrestles bears for breakfast. The last one is called Ariane, and Alva said she and Isaac knew each other from before. She appears harmless, but she’s still a vampire so we need to be careful. She is the one who will be roaming around so we should keep an eye out for her. No matter what, the guarded, alarmed entrance is the only way to the vault and they probably trust it to keep intruders away. We would have no way through without Kate.”

“They don’t got last names?” Moreau asks.

Kate raised her brows in surprise. Moreau usually stayed quiet unless he had specific questions about the plan. She thought that he did not fully approve of what they were doing.

“I don’t think so. Apparently one vampire has one name and they don’t share. It works because there are not that many of them.”

“They are monsters, you can’t expect them to act like proper Christian folks,” Griggs commented, and the others laughed again.

Kate thought that they would be laughing much less when they met the real deal, even if those monsters could not be as bad as the rumors made them to be.

“Still worried?” Chris asked after they were alone upstairs. His voice betrayed his seriousness, Kate could tell. It wavered slightly.

He cared about her opinion.

She shrugged.

“Of course I am. Your harebrained schemes will be the end of you, one day.”

“But you will still go with it?”

She rolled her eyes.

“Yes, yes, you convinced me, oh great genius you.”

Chris chuckled knowingly and the familiar sound warmed her heart. He had this look, the one where he had something more planned. He walked to their chest and threw it open. From there, he withdrew a package in a linen bag she had never seen before.

“What’s this?” she asked with trepidation.

“We can’t have all those rich bastards looking down on my pretty girl, so I got you a present.”

Kate opened the package with all the excitement of a little girl to reveal a dress, and what a dress it was. Dark green taffeta with sequins sewn at the shoulders, a tapered waist and a big, flaring hem. It would cover her breast yet leave the shoulders bare. It looked fit for a princess. She threw herself in the arms of her lover.

“Oh, Chris! It is wonderful! And my size! How did you manage it.”

“I have my resources,” he gloated with relish, “as for your body, I have a passing knowledge of it,” he finished, his hands trailing down to rest on her thighs.

“You are incorrigible!”

Inside, she felt more confident. She had a perfect pendant of nephrite and gold to match the outfit and she would wear her hair high, with two waves of brown ringlets falling on either side. She would look great. She would look the part.

Kate did not feel confident at all. The auction hall had appeared at the corner of a street like an ephemeral palace from a fairy tale, as if it would disappear on the twelfth stroke of midnight. It blazed gloriously with gas lights, clad in haughty confidence. The walls were sheer and neatly painted. They defied the city’s squalor with their unexpected perfection. And the guards! They were walking around in pairs, holding lanterns and muskets, all princely in their pressed uniforms and shiny buttons. It was no longer a normal building. It had become, in her mind, the domain of some Austrian prince who had deigned to open it to the commoners for one night.

Chris felt her waver. He gave her arm a squeeze and she forced herself to affect the confidence she did not feel. She was a mage, dammit, she belonged here! Or so she tried to tell herself. The ugly truth was that she was in way over her head. They all were. She had one nifty spell and that was it. The rest were trash invocations she had picked up here and there.

Only her experience let her keep her composure when they climbed up fancy stairs to wide-open gates. She affected polite disdain when Chris gave their invitations to a serious butler in a suit so well-tailored, it must have cost an arm. Then they were in and she could not help but gasp.

Kate had attended receptions before, mingled with the wives of bankers and landowners. This was a whole other level. The ceiling was so high and the room so large, you could fit her whole childhood home in there! The ground was covered in tiles that made some sort of mask and the place smelled exquisite, a delicate fragrance of vanilla, like some of those pricey perfumes one of her marks used to douse herself with. It took all of her willpower not to gawp like a bumpkin.

The guests were fine too. Chris and her had joined a queue. She fixed her eyes on the wide shoulder of an old man in front of her. He was wearing a suit of cobalt blue and the aura he emanated was incredible. She felt that she could hold her hand before her and her fingers would freeze and blacken before she could even reach his shoulder. It was that strong. And it was carefully controlled too.

She took a deep breath and tried to relax as the line moved on. There were only two groups left when she heard a commotion.

The man in front of her took a step back and she angled to the side to have a look at the disturbance. A young woman was standing at the base of a double set of stairs, dressed in a magnificent lavender gown that embraced her forms in a way that was both daring and modest. She was calmly addressing a trio of burly men in matching brown coats. A tall lad with a wide mustache covered her side, his expression alternating between flustered and angry.

“As I previously mentioned, you may keep your foci but your firearms must be left at the concierge. You will recover them when you leave.”

“I’m not disarming myself with you around, vampire.”

Kate’s eyes widened. This was the vampire? She appeared so normal! Her cheeks showed a light pink flush and she breathed and blinked normally. Not at all how Kate imagined her to be. Perhaps that was part of the disguise? Approach unsuspecting men and bite them when they leaned in for a kiss?

“Your safety is guaranteed as a guest for tonight. I will ask you to comply, otherwise we will not grant you access to the facilities.”

“You think to stop us? I’d like to see you—”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” the mustached man interrupted with a terrible bellow. The loud voice silenced the whispers of the assembly, such was the desperation it conveyed.

“Don’t say it. Don’t finish that sentence. You really, really don’t want to do that,” he hastily continued while growing red in the face. The woman had tilted her head and was staring at him curiously.

“She’s bound by the rules of hospitality so long as you keep your mouth shut and don’t do anything. I swear I saw a man tell her ‘you’re welcome to try’ from inside his house because he thought himself safe. It counted as an invitation. He died the next second. Don’t mess with semantics when you’re around her. Just don’t.”

The man’s concern was so heartfelt that Kate, who had interacted with many grifters throughout the years, found herself convinced of his honesty. Here was a man who had seen much, she thought. Here was a man who had seen enough. At least for tonight.

The trio of thugs remained ambivalent. She could see the tension in their backs.

The vampire tuted once and something peculiar happened. She started to talk and as she did, she changed. Her skin gained an unearthly pallor and her poise, once demure, turned almost… predatory.

“If you wish to keep your pistols to defend yourselves from me, I promise you…” she said, and she smiled.

It was ghastly.

Canines, no, fangs, were revealed by the withdrawal of her carmine lips like knives laid bare. Her eyes were half-lidded now, and reminded Kate of a waiting cat.

“…that they would not help.”

A cold wave washed over Kate. She and most of the other mages took a reflexive step back. She was reminded of opening the door in winter, at night. There was nothing in front of her but darkness and a biting cold that froze her to the marrow.

That did it. The three men moved to the concierge without a word. Her gaze followed them before she turned her attention to the next guest. Her expression reverted to its previous preppy self as if nothing had happened.

The old man had not stepped back before the onslaught. He strutted forward and Kate realized that he had a girl by his side, a pretty thing with a curious strand of white hair on her otherwise dark mop. The tensions must have addled her mind. She immediately remarked that the companion was young enough to be his granddaughter! Disgusting.

“Ariane! Are you making a habit of bullying the younglings?” he exclaimed in a raucous voice.

Kate half-expected the vampire to jump on him. Instead, she returned a disarming smile, sans the fangs this time.

“Frost! Always a pleasure to see you. Have you reconsidered my offer?”

“Nope! I will stay as is, thank you very much.”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!