Thief: X (6 page)

Marshall was laughing at Betty my VW Beetle. She was my chosen method of transport when I didn’t have to be discreet. I loved her to bits. She was an original 1960, yellow convertible and in pristine condition. I fell for her the moment I saw her and most people didn’t even realise it was me when I drove along in her. I smiled at my bumper sticker saying ‘My other car is a Hennessey Venom GT’. Marshall was still in hysterics,

“What?” I shrugged my shoulders, “Adram are you getting in or are you gonna meet us there?” Adram pouted weighing up his options,

“I’ll meet you there, love.” Being his ever so dramatic self he poofed out.

“I never expected you to drive something like this.” Marshall was still smiling and it looked really good on him. Brooding was sexy as hell but his smile nearly made my underwear melt.

“No one ever does. Get in because you really won’t be laughing when I introduce you to the bitch who owns the Library.” We both opened the doors and got in, the suspension creaked at the weight. I really needed to get poor Betty to the shop after I drove her through a shit-filled field last week. I must still have some crap in her axel.

I started her up, and in her own way, she purred. If she was a person, she probably sounded like she smoked a hundred cigarettes a day but she always started. Marshall started laughing again,

“Shut up, you’re hurting Betty’s feelings!” I rubbed her dash,

“Yes Ma’am.” He said trying to control himself. He really wouldn’t be laughing at the Librarian and neither would I if she decided to eat us.

The journey wasn’t far but the twenty minutes being cooped up was making me itch. Small places were not my friend, but if I let Betty’s top down the Great British weather would probably freeze my nipples off. I hated driving to the city. London was too big and way too noisy for my liking but luckily I was only scraping at its outskirts. There were so many supernatural things in London that, in parts, they outnumbered the norms. I didn’t want to be a supernatural buffet quite yet, although that might happen if the Librarian held a grudge. Hence why I was pulling out a shotgun from under my seat.

“Is that really necessary?” Marshall slammed his door and looked at me loading it, “It’s the middle of the day and you’re loading a shot gun in broad daylight!”

“Adram’s useful for something. No one can see it because he’s hexed them.”

“I thought my ears were burning.” Adram whispered in my ear from behind.

“I
will
cut you!” I yelled in his face. You’d think I’d learn by now and not jump out of my skin,

“Won’t people see him?” Non-believers made me laugh.

“Same principle. Come on, I really need to get this over with.”

I looked at the building in front of us and from the outside it didn’t look like anything special. It was a single story building that was probably built in the 1960’s. Its pebble dashed walls had seen many years and was cracked in places. If it wasn’t for the hanging baskets and flower displays it would have looked like something out of a horror film. Someone had painted murals of children playing on the windows, which anywhere else would have looked quaint. But that’s how Thralls drew you in. They were rogue vampire Thralls whose master had been staked. They liked to live in graveyards, but groups had a thing for dark buildings. The lack of a master gave them an insatiable hunger for brains and I warned them last time that they couldn’t have mine.

“Are you sure we’re in the right place?” Marshall looked puzzled but he had no idea,

The three of us walked towards the door and I pumped the shotgun. The last time I was here I was greeted with brain hungry Thralls and I had to break a few things. Who knew libraries could be so dangerous? Marshall pulled his gun following my lead. With one hard kick, I kicked the door wide open and prepared for the worse.

Adram started laughing and I resisted the urge to shoot him in the face. Apparently my attempt at removing the Thralls previously had worked. I was now trying to shoot a group of pre-schoolers singing nursery rhymes,

“Kindergarteners? You’re scared of kindergarteners?” Now Marshall was laughing. I pulled the shotgun onto my back and sighed,

“Apparently it’s back to being a library.” The last few days were making me look a fool. I was a professional for God sakes!

“No, I can seriously see how terrifying they could be. I’ve heard they turn into snot throwing, little terrors when they don’t get what they want and to top it off they throw up like the Exorcist when they’re ill.” Marshall was laughing so hard he was drawing attention to us.

“Ok, so it looks like the Librarian has actually cleaned up a little…” I think I preferred the Ghouls,

“You know, true Librarians always put their nest first.” Adram had stopped laughing and put his hand on my shoulder consoling my heavy handedness,

“Nest?” It’s amazing what words shut a cowboy up. I started walking towards the basement doors,

“The majority of libraries, especially those built in the sixties…and before you ask it’s something to do with the type of cement they used to build with that appeals…are nests consisting of books. That’s why we call these particular supernaturals Librarians. They horde books because it’s part of their nature and because they want to make a little money they allow people to use it. Have you ever wondered why you get a really big fine when you don’t bring the books back? Unfortunately, it can also draw those a little less normal in. Usually the Librarian can handle it but when they can’t, I get called in. They’re actually not that bad, although they can get a little carnivorous when they get upset.” I dodged a spider web and smiled as Adram got hit in the face with it,

“So why are we in the basement?” Marshall was dodging spider webs a lot more efficiently than Adram, who looked like he may have just swallowed a spider,

“Because, if there’s kids upstairs the Librarian will be down here. Normally Librarians like attics but if you remember from the outside, this place doesn’t have one. She could also be in hibernation because she had staff walking about upstairs. Or did the great Texas Ranger miss that?”

“I…”

“Laughing can get you killed. There’s so many supernaturals that look like children but could eat you in one big gulp. You really can’t let your guard down.” There wasn’t any man eating children yet, but I wanted to freak him out. Saying that thought I had once mistaken a goblin for a five year old. It was only from the back and by the time I got closer, I could definitely smell the difference.

“Ok, I get the point.”

“I’m sorry. I just don’t like being laughed at.”

“Come on children. We need to get this done sooner rather than later because I’m getting dust and spider poop on my Armani.” Adram was such a clothes whore.

The walls were filled with old shelving that where covered from floor to ceiling with books. This was obviously the occult section. I could practically feel the darkness oozing from some of them. The deeper we went, the older the books got until scrolls were lined up neatly in their allocated sections. Who knew the Dewey Decimal Classification system was made up by demons? It certainly explained a lot.

“What do you want? I thanked you for the removal of those things didn’t I?” An old woman shuffled from the darkness. Her body enclosed in a cloak that dragged along the floor. The hump on her back and hooked nose made her look like a witch from a fairy tale. Her fat arse made her look like Beyoncé!

“We need help Margareet.” Adram smiled. I inched closer, not really wanting to get in eating distance. This old woman wasn’t all she seemed,

“Who might we be?” Librarians had a thirst for information and hopefully I could use that to get out in one piece,

“Marshall Walker ma’am, pleased to meet you.” Marshall held out his hand but she moved unnaturally fast and before he could jump, her clawed fingers were scrapping over his chin,

“It’s been a while since I have seen beauty such as yours.” She drooled, she actually drooled,

“Thanks.” I muttered.

“Ask your questions and be quick. The library is about to close, and I need my beauty sleep.” She shuffled towards a large oak chair and snuggled her arse into it. She looked so small sitting in it. Why did she need such a big chair? Her arse wasn’t that big and her hump fit fine.

“What do you know of Clockwork?” Nothing better than getting straight to the point. Adram winced at my bluntness but the place gave me the heebie-jeebies. Even the cockroaches were scuttling in the opposite direction,

“I know many Clockworks. Be specific.” She scraped her claw on the arm of the chair peeling off splinters of wood,

“The one that’s been kidnapping teenage girls! The one that’s shipped them to this country! The one that’s got my daughter!” Marshall was shouting and Margareet’s eye started to twitch,

“I’m sure Marshall here didn’t mean to disrespect you Margareet, oh great and powerful Librarian of East Street.” Adram bowed and was making a show, only because he didn’t want to get eaten,

“That particular Clockwork is here but I cannot see him. His name appeared in the census a week ago.”

“Do you know what he is?” I was curious,

“Let me see.” She almost flew across the floor to a book that was open on an ornate wooden stand. It was twice the size of her and yet she skimmed through the pages as if it was a pocket book, “Unknown elf.” Then she slammed the book shut making dust explode everywhere.

“That doesn’t help much.”

“He is an unknown elf. That is all I know. That is what the census wanted to record, and it has done so. What more do you want?”

I didn’t want to ask the next question but I had to and Marshall wouldn’t like it, “Are the girls with him?”

“How should I know? I only know what the census records.” She was back to her chair looking bored. What would a cognitive census record?

“Are the girls here and alive?”

“Yes, for now. There is no blemish through their names.”

“What are their names?” She knew more than she was letting on. How could she check names when I hadn’t told her?

“I’m bored now. If you want more information, I suggest you go see the Elk. After all he is the elf master.”

“What do you know?” Marshall was yelling again. He’d obviously picked up on the same thing I had,

“I think I’ll take my payment now.” She smiled and I saw a lot of pointy teeth,

“You didn’t mention payment. That’s not fair Margareet.” Adram looked horrified, and was slowly backing away.

“None of you have a library card so you have to pay for my services.”

“Sorry I don’t carry cash.” I put my hand on my hip and glared at her,

“I don’t want money. I want beauty.” She pointed at Marshall with one long clawed finger. “I told you it has been a long time since I saw beauty such as him.” Marshall pulled out his gun and pointed it at her.

I really, really didn’t need this. If he knew what she was, he would have just turned around and run but oh no, he had to pull a gun on a Librarian.

“Silly, silly mortal.”

She laughed and then threw her cloak to the floor. This was not going to pretty. Wrapped around her body were four more arms that were black and clawed at the tips. I winced because her hump technically wasn’t a hump and her fat arse wasn’t an arse. Her arms curled out and she dropped to the floor. Did I mention I hated spiders? Did I mention that I was nearly eaten last time?

“I’m afraid the Library is now closed!” She hissed, and I saw Adram practically shit himself,

“Don’t you dare disappear!” I yelled at him,

“I’ll only be a hindrance.” And with that he was gone again. I would swear he was yellow under all that green fur!

“I suggest we run!” I said to Marshall who stood in shock, “Come on snap outta it!” I pulled at his arm and I saw realisation hit him.

“What the fu…”

“Spider, big arsed spider. Librarians need the extra arms.” We were running through the basement and I think he was finally understanding why there was so many spider webs.

I could hear the scrape of legs against the stone floor and she was getting closer. We flew through the door, but everyone had gone. The bitch had closed the Library while we’d been talking. I tried the light switch, but it looked like she had cut the power as well,

“Welcome to my parlour, said the spider to the fly.” I sighed. I pulled the shotgun from my back because it looked like we were going to have to blast our way out. “We have to try and make it to the door.”

“Sounds easy enough.”

“I wish it was.” We started to run for the door when the Librarian exploded through the basement door, fangs blazing and looking pissed,

“Beauty I must have!” I stopped and turned, aiming at her head,

“And what about me?”

“Average?” The cheeky cow! I pulled the trigger but the bullets bounced off her head. Wrong bullets! Damn it. We needed a new plan and quickly. That was when Marshall started shooting and got the bitch right in her chest. Green goo dripped onto the floor and melted a hole straight through. Great. Unfortunately all she did was roar.

“I suggest we run. Now!” I grabbed Marshall and started running. I could hear the Librarian crawling up the walls and was now attacking from the ceiling. She was spitting acid and blocking the door,