Personal Demon (Otherworld 8)

He took a moment before answering. "This gang finds its recruits through an outside agent. That agent is also on my payroll, which is how I'll get you in. The gang leader, Guy Benoit, knows that this agent was an employee of mine, before an apparent falling out. Benoit has, of late, been asking him questions about the Cabal."

"Pumping your guy for information?"

The corners of Benicio's mouth twitched. "No, Benoit would never be so crude. He's a far cry from your typical street thug, Hope, and you'd do well to keep that in mind when dealing with him. Benoit is a brilliant leader. I sincerely hope to have him on my staff one day, but unfortunately he's not eager to embrace Cabal life."

A young woman stepped from the back room, phone in hand. Benicio motioned for her to take a message, then waited until she'd retreated before continuing.

"Guy Benoit is a sorcerer. His father started a small Cabal in Guyana twenty years ago. An ambitious project and one I would have been happy to support, if we hadn't run into a conflict of interest. The Benoit Cabal was disbanded and Guy's mother, a Vodoun priestess, fled with him to Louisiana. Five years ago, Benoit appeared in Miami and toppled the former leader of his gang in a masterful coup."

"Masterful?"

"Guy has a reputation for avoiding violence. Even his coup was bloodless. Ruthless, but bloodless. That's one reason I very much hope to hire him someday."

"After what you did to his family? If he's set up base in Miami, he's obviously looking for revenge, not a job offer."

Benicio only shrugged, unruffled by my bluntness. "In five years, Guy has given me very little trouble. Perhaps that was the calm before the storm--settling in and quietly getting the lay of the land--but he seemed to

be happy to exact his revenge simply by lining his pockets at our expense, taking advantage of the Cabal's willingness to protect the gangs. It's only recently that he's begun asking my agent vague questions about our security force and our general organization. That must be significant. As for what it portends..."

"Finding out is my job."

He nodded.

FAITH EDMONDS WAS the undercover name Benicio had chosen for me. A rich college girl, Faith had quit school to enjoy a six-month stint of self-indulgence in Miami--parentally funded in exchange for a promise to return to her studies in the fall. The persona came with a South Beach apartment and a full set of ID, including platinum credit cards to buy a suitable wardrobe.

First, though, I had to pass the initiation. That afternoon, I'd meet a gang liaison who screened potential recruits. Benicio assured me the test would be only a formality. A rare Expisco half-demon would be a prize for any gang, and I was coming highly recommended by the recruiter on Benicio's payroll. The path had been groomed for me--I just needed to follow it.

ONLY IN MIAMI can you find a gang agent in a beach tent. Before I headed out, I bought suitable camouflage--bikini, sarong and sandals. In the store the bikini had looked lime green. Out in the sunlight, it turned neon. Another typical Hope Adams fashion disaster. I considered trying again, but a glance around the beach assured me I wasn't the most outrageously dressed. With a big pair of sunglasses, I blended right in. Even had the tan, though mine came with no risk of skin cancer.

I'd been to Miami before, but there's something deliciously surreal about standing on the sand under the blazing sun mere hours after being splashed with slush. While I knew I had a job to do, I couldn't resist taking the longer route, strolling along the beach.

As I wove through the carpet of rainbow-hued bikinis and umbrellas, I kept my face uplifted to the sky like a sun-starved flower, and almost tripped over a few outstretched legs. Sandals hanging over my arm, I scrunched through the hot sand to the shore, letting the ocean lap around my feet. When the breeze changed, the smell of empanadas broke through the heady mix of sea salt and sunscreen, and my stomach growled.

I paused by a vendor selling Latin sodas, drawn by the bright, unfamiliar labels, throat constricting as I eyed the sweaty, ice-cold bottles. But walking into this meeting casually sipping a soda wouldn't set the right tone. So I pushed on and quickened my pace until I saw the tent ahead.

A poster was plastered on the side: Spring Break Party Videos--Come On Girls, Show Us What Ya Got. A blond grinned out from it, her shirt lifted, a blackout banner with the company logo across her chest. I checked Benicio's directions again, in case I'd taken a wrong turn and missed the "Instructional Tai Chi" video tent where I was supposed to be. No such luck.

My contact was the dramatically named Caesar Romeo. He wasn't a gang member, just a supernatural they hired to weed through potential recruits sent by Benicio's agent. As for what kind of supernatural he was, either it wasn't important or Benicio thought I could figure it out. Doing so--safely--was my next goal.

I took my time sliding my sandals back on, then slowly walked along the side of the tent, but caught not so much as a vision flicker. My sense for supernaturals has about a 60 percent accuracy rating: the "weaker" someone's power is, the less likely I'd detect it. I'd been told I could hone this skill, but had no idea how except through practice and concentration. There were maybe a half-dozen other Expisco half-demons in the world and I had no idea how to find them, so I was stuck muddling through on my own.

Two girls stood at the tent flap, daring each other to go inside as a male friend egged them on. Typical students on a spring break, with burnt noses and bad dye jobs from a last-minute decision to test whether blonds really did have more fun.

"I hope she's not trying out for a spot," one girl muttered as I headed their way. "My fourteen-year-old sister has bigger boobs."

"She can practice her Kama Sutra on me anytime," the guy said.

I nodded to them as I passed, pretending I hadn't heard. Just like Mom would have done...though she probably wouldn't have added the mental "Fuck you."

I pulled the tent flap open a crack. A stomach-churning blend of pot and incense rolled out.

"Caesar Romeo?" I called.

"Who's askin'?"

"Faith Edmonds. You're expecting me?"

The dimly lit tent was divided into rooms. The front one was a reception area, complete with chairs and magazines--Playboy and Penthouse. Maybe for inspiration.