Home for Horny Monsters Ch. 101

"What are you looking at?" he asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Some dark web type stuff. I do think it's funny that you guys actually have a Paypal account, but I was very interested to learn about some of your crypto activities."

Cyrus shook his head, then remembered she couldn't see him. Or maybe she could. It didn't really matter. "I'm afraid that I won't be of much help to you there. I barely understand it myself, but yes, the Order uses crypto." He didn't tell her that the Order had essentially invented Bitcoin for the purpose of anonymity. In a world where information was becoming easier to spread, they needed a way to move large amounts of money without anyone knowing to whom it belonged.

"You all have a whole chain of transactions, most of which seem to be an attempt to bounce money around and make it harder to spot. But last night, the Order transferred fifteen million dollars into an account that definitely isn't one of yours. Any thoughts?"

Cyrus frowned. Fifteen million wasn't a red flag by any means. "That could be anything," he replied.

"It could be. However, I learned that was just the first payment. They sent another five million shortly after. I'm tracking two of your planes right now, and it seems like they are making round trips to South America. They're on their way back right now, actually."

"You're... tracking our planes? How? That shouldn't be possible."

Eulalie sighed. "I don't have time to explain in detail, but I'm looking at falsified flight plans, fuel purchases that tell me how long they're going to be in the air, money trails, and a bevy of data that points to conclusions I don't much care for."

"You got rats onto those planes, didn't you?"

"I refuse to divulge my methods." He heard her snort. "But yes. If it wouldn't hurt the rats, I'd stick one up your Director's ass just to see what makes him tick. No amount of magical warding will compensate for installing monitoring equipment directly inside your aircraft. I know where they are and how fast they're flying. On a related note, who do you get your spy cameras from? The quality of the optics is fantastic."

Cyrus grinned in spite of himself. He could hear the joy in Eulalie's voice, reminding him of a kid in a candy store.

"Our technology department is top notch. I could tell you where they're located, but perhaps you prefer the challenge of finding them instead."

There was a long moment of silence, followed by a sigh. "I'm getting distracted," she muttered, and he heard a sound that made him think she was smacking her own cheeks. "We'll talk tech later. I need to know what you all could be spending money on that would end up on our doorstep."

"What? Here?" He frowned. "Run that all by me again?"

"Within one hour of a fifteen million dollar down payment, your planes touched down in Ecuador. They are currently on their way back. These are your private planes, the ones you use for people. I want to know who they could be bringing back from Ecuador."

Cyrus stared at his hands, deep in thought. They had a facility in Ecuador, but it was more of a monitoring station. Even so, they wouldn't require any sort of payment to show up.

"Private contractors," he said, his thoughts suddenly grim. When Laurel had said that preparations had been made, this is likely what she referred to.

"What kind?" Eulalie asked. "Because as of right now, it seems very much like the Order is bringing in a small army."

"But an army wouldn't be able to accomplish anything... right?" He scratched his head. "None of our people are in Ecuador, and I'm unaware of any magical assets there. That means they're bringing in outsiders, likely the human kind."

"Mercenaries." Eulalie could be heard typing on a keyboard, and she let out a hiss that caused the hair on Cyrus' neck to stand straight up. "Oh, fuck me, this is bad."

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"If my data is correct, your boss hired a paramilitary group called the Sons of Sin."

"No!" Cyrus whispered in alarm.

"Yes. I have to go. It's time for a family discussion."

The earpiece went silent, and Cyrus gazed out at the front yard, his thoughts whirling. Right now, the Radley estate looked similar to a botanical garden, with staff wandering the property and tending the plants.

But if the Director really had hired the Sons of Sin, this place was about to become a battlefield. The Order rarely hired the group, but when they did, it was always a mission geared toward extermination. The Sons of Sin were some of the nastiest bastards on the planet, cold blooded killers for hire, and they were coming here. He had no idea what they had been doing in Ecuador, but there was no reason to doubt Eulalie's intel.

Cyrus rose to his feet, groaning at the ache in his lower spine. It was clear now that the Director had never thought Cyrus would succeed. Instead, he was only there to gather intel which he would hand over to the next person in charge when they arrived. Scowling, he turned to stare up at the house.

It was time for some preparations of his own.

A pair of speedboats ferried Mike and the rest of the team to the eastern side of the island. He sat with Ratu and Quetzalli in the back while Ingrid and Wallace sat up front with the driver. Supplies had been strapped to the other boat, things they would need for the brutal hike up to the Big Bog. There were only two ways to get there, and they weren't going to be able to fly in and climb down from above. Most of the land was protected by the government, and the Order had been unable to secure access from the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust. This meant starting the trek at the beach and working their way up the mountain.

Less than a quarter mile behind them, Captain Francois' ship glided across the water, keeping up with them. Every now and then it would fall behind and simply vanish into a cloud of mist, likely a form of magical camouflage. On more than one occasion, Mike caught Ingrid watching the ship with concern. Even though he was technically at odds with the Order, he appreciated knowing that she was uncomfortable with the man as well.

Princess Leilani sailed with Francois. Even now, Mike could see the princess standing at the prow of the vessel, her eyes fixed on the volcano. She had graciously declined riding with Mike and the others, citing that she would only travel with her guardian. Up on the deck, Captain Francois stood behind the helm, casually steering the ship with one hand while eating an apple with the other.

"I really don't like that guy," Mike muttered.

"It's not just you." Ratu wrapped her arm around his and leaned into him. Turning her head, she placed a couple of kisses on his neck, then whispered in his ear. "Are they looking elsewhere?"

Assuming she was referring to the Order, he nodded his head. Wallace looked like he was taking a power nap in the front of the boat, and Ingrid was focused on Francois' ship. Mike was unable to make out the name on the prow, but the impressively cut figurehead with the flowing beard made him think it was probably something manly.

"Yeah," he muttered.

Ratu ran her hand along his body, sliding it up under his shirt as if to feel his abs. He felt her slide something into the waistband of his shorts.

"Don't react," she whispered as she nibbled at his ear. "I mean, react to this, but not what I'm about to tell you."

He smirked and leaned into her, putting an arm around her and playfully squeezed her breast through her shirt. Ingrid looked at them and made a point of turning away.

"You're about to feel Daisy climbing up your chest," she whispered. "Cerulea and Olivia will be with Quetzalli and me. I left Carmina with Lily back at Paradise."

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Just a hunch," she muttered. "After you left breakfast, everybody started chatting, and I overheard the Captain say something to Leilani in the lost language of Atlantis."

"Can't be lost if someone speaks it," he replied.

Ratu bit his ear hard enough that he flinched.

"Please, continue," he muttered, trying to ignore the pain.

"To clarify, it's considered lost because the Atlanteans themselves are gone. I know the language because I needed it for disenchanting a bunch of their stuff over the years. They're using you and the Order to take care of whatever is up the mountain. She asked him when he thought the tide would go out."

Mike didn't have a clever retort for that. "What does that even mean?" he asked, knowing perfectly well that it was a nonsensical question for a mermaid to ask.

"He told her as soon as the crabs finished their meal. I suspect their plan is to take you out once you've done whatever they think you're going to do. Possibly the Order, too." She nuzzled him extra hard, her hand moving up his chest to play with his nipple. A tiny pair of hands and feet crawled along his ribs as Daisy squeezed herself flat against his back.

"The enemy of my enemy," he muttered.

"Mike, if the Order finds out the Captain can claim your home, we might lose our safety net." Her voice was at odds with her amorous ministrations as she licked the side of his neck. "The fairies are here in case we get separated. They can sense each other and we can use them to navigate if needed."

"What else did you give me?"

"Knock it off you two." Ingrid had a look of disgust on her face. "There's no fucking on this boat."

"Or if there is, make sure you bring plenty of fucking for everybody." Wallace lowered his shades and grinned at everyone. When nobody responded, he sighed and sat back in his chair, resuming the power-nap position.

Ratu had already slid away from Mike pretending to adjust her clothes. She smiled at him, but he could see the worry in her eyes. Once they started their ascent of the mountain, danger could come from almost anywhere. His safety was assured only until they reached their destination and completed their task. He couldn't help but think about the sword at Francois' hip.

He briefly wondered if Ratu had borrowed a collapsible sword from Dana, but knew that couldn't be it. Not only would tucking a blade into his pants be silly, but he also had no idea how to use it. Over the last couple of years, he had worked on getting stronger and using his magic, but self defense with weapons hadn't been part of the agenda.

The trip around the eastern edge of the island had them landing at a village built along the edge of the water. The buildings that dotted the hillside were beautiful and painted bright colors so they stood out against the green backdrop of the forest. In the distance, the volcano Haleakalā loomed over them like a silent guardian.

"That's gonna be a long climb," Mike reflected as their boat angled toward the pier. While they didn't need to get all the way to the top, there were no discernable roads that he could see.

On the dock, a few Order members waited, all of them wearing bright Hawaiian colors and dark sunglasses. They looked like Secret Service agents on vacation, except instead of guns, they were armed with collapsible blades and wands, all in holsters strapped to belts and thighs.

"How do people not notice you guys?" he asked Ingrid. "You look like mercenaries."

She looked at the agents, then back at Mike. "You'd be surprised what people don't notice. At a cursory glance, they're probably just another tour company, or maybe just some weird tourists. People carry knives. It's not that uncommon. You shouldn't be able to see the wands, though. The holsters have a localized enchantment that make the wands look like something else, like a cellphone or whatever. When the Order does post-investigation surveys, people usually mistake us for law enforcement or park rangers. With Haleakalā National Park nearby, that's probably where people will think we're from."

"Are we going in through the park?" he asked. "To utilize their trails?"

Ingrid shook her head. "No. Normal people may mistake us for park rangers, but the actual park rangers will not. We can't chance running into people on the regular trails. I'm afraid you are too... memorable."

Mike looked questioningly over at Ratu and Quetzalli. Ratu's eyes were closed as she leaned back over the gunwale to expose her neck and chest to the sun. Quetzalli was leaning over the side of the boat, her silver hair billowing in the breeze while her large breasts jiggled in time with the waves the boat bounced over. "Yeah, I suppose that's the price we pay for traveling with them."

The mage looked incredulous for a moment, then shook her head. "I can't tell if you're ignorant or screwing with me."

He frowned at the mage. "Ratu looks like an Instagram model and Quetzalli is a curvy woman with silver hair and purple eyes. I'm aware they'd gather attention."

"I'm talking about you." Her features softened. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Clearly I don't. Care to explain it?"

Ingrid shook her head and chuckled. "I thought you were doing it on purpose this whole time, too. I was referring to you. Have you seen yourself lately?"

"Um, yeah? I'm not a vampire, I have a reflection."

She scrutinized him for a few seconds, then nodded. "After we dock, I want to show you something. It will only take a couple of minutes. Then you'll understand."

Curious, Mike nodded, then turned his attention back to the village of Hana. It was a secluded side of the island that was relatively untouched by commercial development. There were some people wandering the shoreline, some casting nets out into the water while others looked like tourists. Nobody paid them any attention as they approached.

Mike looked back to see if Francois would dock his vessel, but it had shrunk down to the size of a catamaran as they neared the shore. Leilani dove into the water and vanished from sight, leaving Francois by himself on his vessel.

"Do you think he's alone on there?" he asked Ingrid.

"I assume so. We haven't seen anybody else on board." She picked up a pair of binoculars. "Why? Do you think he has a crew stashed somewhere?"

He thought about his own home. Did the ship have its own kind of geas? What kind of defenses did it have other than the cloudy camouflage? Would Francois surprise them with a magical crew of men and women or would they be cryptids?

"Just wondering is all," he replied. Ratu frowned in Francois' direction.

Docking was a relatively silent affair. They were welcomed ashore as the Order pulled supplies from the other boat and loaded them into a pair of jeeps. Leilani appeared on the beach, wandering the shore as if looking for shells. She wore a green wrap around her legs and a yellow bikini top that contrasted nicely against her darker skin. The catamaran had shrunk down to a canoe, and Francois hopped onto the dock as the ship transformed into mist and flowed into the magical bottle at his waist. Francois was friendly with the Order, greeting each one with a smile and a handshake. Though Mike still got bad vibes from the man, Francois' friendliness seemed genuine.

"Don't let that fool you." Ratu was standing right behind him now, her words soft in his ear. "You are that man's competition."

He nodded, grateful for the reminder. Quetzalli had left the dock and was walking the shore just behind Leilani, who looked back at the dragon with interest. The rising sun was scattering prismatic colors off of the exposed scales on Quetzalli's neck and arms, which definitely caught the Order's attention.

Ingrid watched the dragon for a moment, then walked over to Mike. "What is she?" she asked him. "We thought she was just some side piece for you, but it's clear she's something more."

"What, the hair and the eyes didn't give it away?" He smirked at the mage.

"I once watched a man get eaten from the inside by insects in a matter of seconds." She scowled at him. "I thought her appearance was simply hair-dye and contacts, honestly."

Mike pursed his lips as if deep in thought. "You should really be asking her," he said, knowing Quetzalli wouldn't tell anyone. "That's her secret to share."

Ingrid groaned and shook her head. "Of course you couldn't just tell me. Look, can you at least tell me that she won't hinder us? Looking at her, she doesn't seem like the kind of woman who can handle the stress of bushwhacking up a mountain."

"She can handle it." Holding back a grin, he continued. "I once saw her eat a man from the inside using a bunch of insects."

"Fuck you, Caretaker." Ingrid's eyes went hard. "Maybe this is a game to you, but this is my life. Do you know how many times I've watched someone I care about get killed? Maybe if you'd lost someone close to you, you'd understand."

He sighed and turned his attention toward her. "I apologize," he said. "I was trying to be funny."

"Try harder." She turned to walk away, but spun back around to face him. "Actually, stop trying. That would be even better."

"I hear that a lot at home, actually." He became serious once again. "But I really am sorry."

Ingrid rolled her eyes and left to check in with the others. Ratu was staring up at the volcano, her emerald eyes glistening.

"I can feel it," she said, awe in her voice. "The mountain, I mean. Millions of tons of rock and soil, permeated with the earth's heat like the veins around a beating heart. It may be slumbering, but it is very much alive."

He put a hand around her waist and watched the mountain with her. Where Ratu felt the magic of the earth, he could feel the life of the forest. It was like staring into a distant crowd of people and only hearing snippets of their voices. There was power here that he hadn't felt anywhere else. In the tower world, mighty mountains loomed, but they were cold and lonely. Haleakalā had a presence that filled both his eyes and his mind, leaving him longing for more.

"What are you looking at?" The voice startled him, and Mike turned to find Leilani staring at them with curiosity.

"The mountain," he said.

She nodded in understanding. "Haleakalā is very impressive. Once every five years, my people allow the bravest warriors able to make legs to make a pilgrimage up its slopes and bring back a stone from the highest peak. These stones are special to us, because they are a reminder that with enough time, anyone can touch the sky."

Mike contemplated the princess. It was the first time he had seen her express any thought beyond vengeance or serving her people. Her perpetual scowl had been replaced with wide-eyed curiosity, and maybe even some trepidation.

"Have you climbed it before?"

Her eyes snapped toward him and she shook her head. "I was not old enough for the last pilgrimage, nor would I have been considered worthy."

"But certainly you would qualify now."

She nodded. "That is true. But my status as a royal means it would be difficult to convince the council to allow me to go. Every pilgrimage, there is at least one who fails to return."

"What happened to them?" asked Ratu.

"The merfolk share a cautious peace with the humans of the island today, but we were often at odds with the kings of old. The spirits of the dead have not forgotten and will not hesitate to slay my people." Leilani's eyes glistened with excitement. "They are the Nightmarchers, the warriors of old."

"Excuse me, the what now?" Mike gaped at Leilani. "We have to fight spirits?"

"Not likely." Wallace came off the dock holding a trio of hiking bags. "They only come out after the sun goes down, and we'll make camp if that happens. There are precautions we can take. Honestly, the Nightmarchers are kind of like the weather--no guarantee you'll see them, and they usually leave well enough alone unless you piss them off. It's part of the reason why this side of the island is so sparsely populated. In protecting this region from development, it actually caused the spirits to gather here naturally. Anyone trying to build is usually not a local, and we'll find their equipment abandoned in the woods one day."