Chapter Text
Sidecar Garage was not actually a mechanic or auto parts shop despite its name. In a previous lifetime and under a different owner, the red brick building had been a bustling repairs store. In its current life, it was a bar that served booze and greasy finger food, and while there was a garage attached, tables spread out as the bar’s open sitting area instead of cars. And the house coffee could be sold as motor oil.
Danielle ‘Dani’ Strode, one of the bar’s senior bartenders, was only two hours into her eight-hour shift. There were no patrons in the house and all of the glasses sat in neat rows behind the bar waiting to be filled. She wrung out her dishrag and wiped the countertop of the bar for the fifth time that hour, thankful for her waterproof gloves that kept her fingers from pruning. There was a persistent layer of sticky that she could never get rid of no matter how hard she tried. Years of spilt beer and poor-quality wood finish would win the battle. It was slow even for a Tuesday night though, so she continued to wage war on the poor bar top.
Another woman walked in from the back, carrying a box filled to the brim with liquor bottles like it was a paperweight. Deja Thomas was in her mid to late thirties, reached almost six-foot-tall without heels, had flawless skin the color of mocha, and registered as a Notable Magus Viribus—a strong woman. She could lift a hundred pounds with a single finger. While her magic had similar uses as telekinesis, it was limited in that she had to physically touch whatever she was lifting. It was Arcane magic rather than Mental magic.
Dani was a stark and almost comedic contrast to her coworker. She was twenty-six just shy of her next birthday, stood at five-foot-four, and had creme colored skin that was heavily freckled and more likely to burn than tan. Her wavy hair was “soft caramel brown.” At least that’s what the color label on a dye box at Target had said when she got bored once and decided to play matching colors. She was also registered as a Notable Empath.
While some would balk at two women running a bar in Fourth Ward, Dani and Deja made a formidable pair. Patrons who came in riled up or on edge found themselves gradually mellowing out as they sat, and when Dani’s Empathy didn’t do the job, any irate or overzealous customers were thrown out on their ass. Literally. Deja’s record was thirty-three yards.
As Deja finished restocking the bar and made her way back into the cellar, the bell above the main door chimed to greet three men. On weekends during the summers, when business was usually bustling and the temperatures would soar even at night, the garage doors were usually pulled open for some semblance of fresh air. It was a Tuesday night in March and the bar was empty, so the garage doors remained shut.
After a glance around the room, Dani’s new guests ignored the completely empty bar and sat at a table in the far corner. She didn’t let her irritation show as she pulled three drink menus, paused to consider, then also pulled three appetizer menus as well. Sidecar Garage was not the kind of establishment that served full entrees but recognized that people liked to eat greasy and salty food while they drank.
As soon as she was within scanning distance, Dani felt like she had stepped into a bucket of slime. Waves of malice and contempt rolled off their table that screamed “DANGER.” Dani was used to sensing a lot of emotions from her customers—rage, grief, guilt, lust—but never this level of malevolence before. She was well-accustomed to hiding her reactions to patrons’ emotions after years of experience, though. There was no pause in her stride as she came to their table and passed out menus.
“What can I get you boys?” she laid on the cheerful—If not ditzy—barmaid persona, thick like butter.
They each ordered a pitcher of the cheapest beer on tap, no water or food. When she brought their drinks around the bar, they paid her with a single large bill, told her to keep the change, and said they would holler if they needed anything else.
Breaking her usual routine of staying behind the bar if guests were present, Dani walked into the back at a pace she hoped seemed normal and not running away. She took some steady gulps of air, trying to slow the racing of her heart and sort through the red flags her brain was raising. Empaths learned from an early age to trust their instincts. Dani’s were screaming at her that these were not good people.
Dani looked down to the hundred-dollar bill that she hadn’t bothered to place in the register. The thin material of her gloves was the only thing between her fingers and the bill. Her skin ached, like it was urging her to remove the barrier. Dani found herself wanting to do just that, guided by her instincts and magic. Because the thing was, she may have been registered as an Empath, but Dani was also a Seer.
Psychometry, or Seer magic, was a Mental type that allowed the mage to know the history of any object they touched. Despite the name Seer, any one of the five senses could be involved but for a finite amount of time. A Notable Seer could usually see and hear an object’s past for a few hours. A Significant could look back at an object for a couple of weeks at most.
Dani could trace back something she touched by months or years, sometimes its entire history if the object had a strong enough essence. Her gloves kept her from accidentally seeing things because sometimes her magic just wanted to taste an object’s essence. The number of people who knew could be counted on one hand. Other than her aunt, not one of those was within her House.
House Strode was a well-off and aspiring House of Sensors. Those with sensor magic had a certain guiding intuition. A gentle push or pull towards something that felt right or wrong. The stronger the magic, the more precise the instinct. If a Sensor played poker, they could place bets without even looking at their cards.
When Dani was ten, she was tested as a Notable Empath. Not a hint of sensor magic. Her parents only ever ranked as lower-range Significants. Her grandfather had been a Prime and a cousin to the Head of the House during his time. Her family was only distantly related to the Head and main branch of the family now. With her abysmal ranking and lack of sensor magic, their line was officially considered a failing vector by House Strode.
Shortly after her twelfth birthday, her parents were killed in House warfare, deemed expendable. She was sent to live with her father’s aunt Priscilla because she was still a child and seen as a responsibility of House Strode. Living with her great aunt, who had never married because she had only ever ranked as Average, was nothing like living with her parents. Aunt Priscilla was loving and gave Dani anything she wanted, but she was firm and did not shield Dani from the cruel ways of a House like her parents had.
Aunt Priscilla was also the first to realize that Dani’s true magic had started to show in her teenage years. It began with Dani knowing things she shouldn’t, like how her aunt’s favorite Chelsea tea set was a collection from nineteenth century England. And the man who crafted them was named Thomas.
When Dani’s caretaker sat her down and told her that she was undoubtedly a Prime Seer, the older woman also asked in the gentlest voice if Dani wanted to be tested and inform the Head of House Strode. Aunt Priscilla could have immediately told the House about her niece’s ability and used the opportunity to improve her favor, but instead she gave Dani the chance to choose.
They kept it a secret, and Dani was content with staying out of House Strode’s scrutiny. She didn’t hate her House because they were family and had given her Aunt Priscilla, but she resented them for their nonchalance in her parents’ deaths.
She pulled her glove off and let her fingers hover over the corner of the bill. Her magic gave a gentle tug, pulling her to touch it. She did and her vision blurred in front of her, new images taking shape. Her magic was a lot like old televisions, where one had to adjust the antenna and play with the dial to get a proper image.
The first scene was in a car, one bill amongst a dozen others being counted as music blared in the background. Dani didn’t pay any mind to the sound and focused instead on who was in the car. The three men in the bar, talking back and forth. The one holding the money was the easiest to tune into frequency. “Fuck if the brats are worth this much. I should have lopped the little bitch’s head off after she bit me.”
“You can’t kill her. Boss’d peel you. He said we could cut off an ear or finger after a couple days if their brother doesn’t meet demands,” the man driving countered.
Dani took the time to study their faces in more detail than she had in the bar. None of them had memorable faces or features, ideal hitmen. Or kidnappers in this case. She couldn’t see the third man in the backseat but knew instinctively he was there. Tuning in further, she could tell they were in an SUV and not a car. The interior was too dark to make out any additional details.
“Are you sure Boss approved our leave? Only Teams Beta and Gamma are on site right now,” the one Dani couldn’t see asked.
The one in the passenger seat flashed something—claws—and gave a nasty smile. Was he a metamorphose mage or illusionist? She wasn’t sure what else could give him claws. “Boss gave me the money, so that’s permission if I’ve ever heard it. And if I’m not allowed to kill the brats, I better damn well be able to get a beer for all the trouble they’ve caused. My damn head hurts. I need booze.”
So Mr. Claws was a kidnapping alcoholic who apparently didn’t care what his boss thought. The side eye the driver was sharing with the man in the backseat through the rearview told Dani that “Boss” should have ranked higher on concerns than beer.
Dani pushed more magic into the bill, diving further into its recent past.
The problem with performing psychometry on everyday items like money was how many hands it passed through. Most of the interactions were insignificant. They didn’t stay with the owner for long and events didn’t leave much of an essence. Bills exchanged during times of intense emotion or dramatic events tended to be different though. Ransoms, pay offs, thefts, drug deals. Blood money, as Dani called it. Usually only personal items or old magical relics held such strong essences, but things like fear and rage tended to stain an item. Dani wasn’t certain if all Seers could sense those bound emotions, but she could. Maybe because she was also an Empath.
A second scene rippled like a drop of water in a puddle. The air was heavy with cigarette smoke.
Only two men were present this time, the one who gave Dani the money and a new face. It was the new man counting the money now. “Keep the men on rotation. If Montgomery’s men are so much as sighted within a mile of this building, we bug out with the two hostages. Take them out to the Gulf.”
Holy shit, he said Montgomery. These idiots have kidnapped someone from House Montgomery.
This must be Boss. He handed a wad of bills to Mr. Claws.
There were two forms huddled in the corner, their feet and hands bound by rope, mouths covered in duct tape. One was a girl, old enough to have entered puberty but still so young that her tears stood out in sharp contrast against her rounded baby cheeks. The other was an older teenage boy, almost a man in height and width, but his hangly limbs had so much more filling out to do. He had wedged the girl—his sister by their shared appearances—into the corner of the room and was trying to cover her body with his. Dani vaguely recognized their faces. They hadn’t just kidnapped someone from House Montgomery. These were the younger siblings of the Head of the House, Augustine Montgomery.
The feeling of bile rising in her throat and a hand waving in front of her face brought Dani out of the visions. Deja stood in front of her, hand cocked on her hip and looking curiously at Dani’s bare fingers against the dollar. Her coworker was one of the few who knew about her true magic.
“You were under for fifteen minutes.” Dani blinked and looked up at the clock. Time passed oddly when she used her magic sometimes. “Thought I’d snap you out of it when you started turning white as a sheet. You look like you hell, hun. Those men out there give you that?”
“Mhmm.” She could only nod absently as she pulled her glove back on.
“What made you want to look?” Deja asked, taking the money gently from Dani’s grasp. The older woman understood how Dani’s magic would draw her to objects sometimes and compel her to touch them.
“It’s bad, Deja. They’re bad men. I have to do something.” It was a strong statement from Dani, who usually was so careful with her magic and withdrawn from getting involved in matters that didn’t directly affect her. Deja frowned, her dark brow furrowing as she looked over Dani’s shoulder towards the bar room.
“What happened? Do we need to call the cops?”
Dani shook her head.
“I can’t tell you, and we can’t call the cops. They probably wouldn’t get involved. It looks like House warfare.” The concerned expression sharpened into something fierce and protective.
“Damn it, Danielle.” Uh-oh. Full first name was never good. “I don’t want you getting killed. You don’t have to stick your neck out for any of those bastards.”
Deja held a justifiable grudge after her father had been hired as a protective detail by a House and was used as cannon fodder. He was meant to guard a low-key jewelry exchange, only to find out that he was guarding the Ring of Gyges. The House who hired him had expected the hit and wanted Deja’s father to fail so they could claim retaliation on their competitor who stole the ring. It was a set-up, but Deja’s father put up too much of a fight protecting his cargo and he had died for his trouble. The House gave his family a check for one-point-four million in life insurance and their “sincerest condolences.” Deja’s family was in too hard a place to decline the money and it still sat heavy on the woman fifteen years later.
“You know if it wasn’t urgent, I’d stay and finish my shift without a second thought to what those men were doing. You know I don’t give a damn about Houses or their Primes. But this is one of those times that if I have the power to stop something bad from happening and I don’t, I’ll never be able to forgive myself.” Dani spared a glance around the corner, thankful that the three men seemed content to their own company and their pitchers of beer which were close to empty. She turned back to her coworker, who was watching her carefully. “It involves kids, Deja.”
Deja was a mother to three and Dani babysat for her on a regular basis. It was hard to fib about who broke whose toy when Aunt Dani could just ask the toy. The older woman’s face softened and she reached around Dani to give her a fierce hug. Some of her bones creaked from the pressure.
“Oh, hun. You do what you need to but you promise me that you’ll come back in one piece. Promise me, Dani.” Deja hadn’t grown up in the world of Houses like Dani had but she had her own life’s hardships and the media to tell her about the ramifications of House warfare.
“I promise, Deja. Keep the place standing tonight. I may be gone awhile.”
Dani grabbed the hundred dollar note back from Deja and tucked it into her jeans pocket. Best to hold onto any evidence, even if it wouldn’t be admissible. Houses didn’t care much about due process or courtrooms.
She planned on following the men once they left. It would do her no good to contact the Head of House Montgomery now on the premise of her visions alone. There had been no newscasts about the abduction, but Augustine Montgomery was likely already well aware that his siblings had been taken. House Montgomery was highly unlikely to admit that two of its heirs and potential Primes were missing. It would be an admittance of weakness. No. No one would know what had happened until the children were recovered and the fallout of House Montgomery crushing the perpetrators came to light. Unless an unsuspecting Seer happens upon the kidnappers.
Dani could best help by finding out where the children were. Knowing House Montgomery and its alliances, retrieval should be an easy matter once the children were located. She spared another glance to the clock. It read nine thirty-five, twenty-five minutes since she had stepped back. Hopefully her prolonged disappearance wasn’t too suspicious.
She strolled back into the bar, grabbing a couple cases of beer to restock the front cooler to give the appearance of working and to keep her hands from shaking.
The men didn’t seem interested in ordering a second round. Two of the men were talking heatedly under their breaths, while the third sat on his phone with a serious expression on his face. They continued to sit there. Five minutes. Ten minutes. Then at nine forty-five on the dot they stood in unison and made their way out of the bar.
Dani felt like someone had poured an ice bucket over her head. Nerves clamped down on her spine as she practically threw the dishrag into a bin and took off into the back of the bar, past the cellar and through the kitchen. She burst out the employee only door to the side of the building where her Nissan Altima sat. From this angle, there was no line of sight to the customer parking lot, which was good given her graceless exit and bad since she didn’t have eyes on the men.
She hopped into her car, thankful that the dark tinted windows would keep her mostly hidden from view. By the time she pulled to the corner of the building, the men were in their black SUV and sitting at the light in front of Sidecar Garage. There was just enough traffic this time of night that Dani was able to pull into a lane and follow several cars behind the SUV. Luck was on her side because there were three other black compact cars going in the same direction, so she felt mildly assured she wouldn’t be immediately picked out.
They only drove for eight minutes deeper into Fourth Ward before the SUV pulled off to park in front of an apartment building. Dani continued driving for another block before turning onto a side street and parking her car. She pulled her M&P Shield pistol from the glove compartment box with its concealed holster and strapped it high around her waist, then reached into her back seat and pulled a grey hoodie over her black “SCG” t-shirt.
Grabbing her purse with her phone last, she shot a quick text to Deja with a pin to her current location. Call the cops if I don’t check in within an hour. She tucked her phone back into her purse then backtracked on foot towards where the SUV had parked. Her options weren’t great and if she was caught, she’d likely be killed. The alternative was allowing two children to likely be murdered which pushed her past normal self-preservation instincts.
The men had parked in front of an old apartment building with most of its windows boarded up. Perfect spot to keep kidnapped persons with no need to worry about disturbing the neighbors. There was no guarantee the Montgomery children were being kept here, though. She needed confirmation, ideally as quickly as possible. Something they had touched, or something that had touched them.
A terrible and possibly suicidal plan began to form in her mind. Dani took her gloves off, shoving them into the front pocket of her hoodie, then pulled a flask out of her purse and took several large swings of whiskey. She made sure a few gulps worth ended up on her hoodie. One of Mr. Claws’ companions mentioned there were teams patrolling. She knew that at least Mr. Claws and the Boss had been in the room where the children were being kept. She just hadn’t seen a clear path in the bill’s history connecting Point A to Point B. Surely someone else who had been in contact or near the kids had come or gone.
As she approached the SUV, she took another purposeful swig of whiskey, staggering at just the right moment that had her toppling over the trash bin. Its contents spilled out and Dani didn’t have to fake the slurry of curse words that came out of her mouth. A shadow moved beside her. A man dressed in all black feigned good samaritan, offering to help her get up and carry on her way. She may have believed the charming smile if not for the sense of enmity pulsing between them. She took the proffered hand then continued to act sloshed. Nervous giggles erupted from her throat and she prayed it came off as drunken laughter. She staggered away, trying to keep her breathing even and feet steady as she walked down the sidewalk.
Once she was several blocks away and her heart was no longer hammering in her throat, she walked into a gas station and locked herself in the women’s restroom so she could rummage through the contents of her hoodie pocket.
When she had been laying on the ground, surrounded by garbage with a potential killer looming over her, Dani had let her hands blindly pick up whatever felt her magic’s pull.
She pulled each item out now on the bathroom floor, resisting the urge to let her magic brush against their essence yet. In the span of a few seconds, she had filled her pocket with a used napkin, a plastic bottle cap, and a candy wrapper. Her bare fingers hovered over the items, gloves still in her pocket.
The napkin had the strongest pull emotionally and there was a suspicious dark red stain that kept her from immediately reaching for it. Similarly, the bottle cap had a heavy tug with only a light pull from the candy wrapper. She didn’t necessarily have the time nor the energy to delve too far into multiple items. Even though the napkin drew her in, the emotion was drawing her Empath magic more than her Seer magic. So the cap or the wrapper?
She touched the candy wrapper first and let her magic wash over it.
The scene was the same room from the money vision. The candy wrapper twisted idly in the hands of the Boss while he spoke into a cell phone. “Mr. Montgomery, I’m disheartened to hear you feel that way. I consider myself a businessman. Perhaps there are other ways of persuading you?” Suddenly the young Montgomery siblings were being pulled into the room, the girl kicking and screaming while the boy tugged and cursed. There’s no doubt that Augustine Montgomery was on the other end of the phone call, and there was no way he hadn’t heard the noise. “You know what I want.” With that, the man hung up.
The phone flashed to a home screen and Dani spent a good deal of magic trying to pull the screen into focus. She caught the time and date.
14:38. March 23rd.
Her breath caught and she pulled her magic away from the wrapper. Today was March 23rd. The kidnapping happened less than nine hours ago and she was almost certain the teens were still in the abandoned apartment complex. She took a risk and used a bit more magic to brush against the bottle cap, giving the napkin a wide berth.
Taste of salt, sound of sobs. Crying caused tears, and tears were salty. The young girl was crying again as her brother tried to give her some water with both their hands tied and their lips welted an angry red from duct tape being torn away. He looked around the room and Dani did, too. The cracks in a boarded-up window showed nothing but darkness.
Her heart soared and she felt hope bloom in her chest. It was dark in the vision which meant nighttime so it must have only been from a couple hours ago. Surely they were still alive!
Fingers fumbling with her phone, she texted Deja then pulled the number up for Montgomery International Investigations. It was so late, would there even be an answer? Yes, logic supplied. Leave all channels open in case someone calls with information or demands.
She pressed dial. The phone rang twice before a woman’s voice answered. “Montgomery International Investigations, how may I assist you?”
Dani couldn’t leave any doubt in the information she provided. “My name is Danielle Strode of House Strode. I am a Prime Seer. I have information that Prime Montgomery needs to hear regarding the kidnapping of his younger brother and sister.” There was a long pause on the line, and she worried that the woman had hung up.
After what seemed like a lifetime, a man’s smooth voice replied. “Ms. Strode. I was unaware that House Strode had a Prime Seer in their midst. Least of all when records show that you are a Notable Empath at best. You must understand why I find this information hard to believe. Additionally, I am curious how you’ve come to think that either my brother or sister have been kidnapped. Even veiled threats against House Montgomery are not taken lightly, Ms. Strode.”
Anger coiled in her stomach. Anger at this man for wanting to play games when she was trying to help him save his siblings and anger at the world they lived in which made playing games like these a necessity. Dani refused to play. “5601 Sawsbuck Lane, there’s an old apartment complex. Last I saw, your siblings were alive as of nightfall. Hopefully you’re a better businessman than he is,” she snapped.
Then she hung up.