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Lourdes of Loki part 32 - Freya

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After Loki's unfortunate disappearance it went all crazy there for a while. While I and Fenrir did our best to somewhat comfort the devastated Fiona, Igor ran into the building with Fatima, the little girl shouldn't have to see her mother in such a crazed state. I also told my brother to call Lucrezia and Pierre to have them coming here, the more heads the better knowledge about who that Abraxas might be working for and where they could have taken our dad and why. Because an Abraxas might look like nothing but invincible, but they are rather disadvantageous when it came to brains. They seldom act on their own but are often the tool of some more intelligent badass.

Therefore it must be someone who'd been deploying this creature to take our father. Loki has a lot of enemies around the world that's true, from Colombian drug dealers to Kim Jong-un of North Korea. People he had taken money, lovers or business opportunities from or just generally pissed off. (Well, fat Kim Jong-un wouldn't be able to deploy an Abraxas, he had probably had it served and eaten it. Fried in butter and cream, so he got all the calories to go with it)

We had somewhat calmed down the hysteric Fiona, when we all heard it. There was a sound of a car engine, someone driving like mad on the curvy dirt-roads towards the Laufeyson estate. Seconds later the vehicle came in view, almost flying up the tree-lined road. It was an egg yolk-yellow Lamborghini that was hasting towards the mansion as if it had the devil itself in the rear. (Which it might as well, taking in mind how crazy this day had started.)

As Fenrir, Fiona and I were watching with our mouths agape, the car came to a halt some eight metres from where we were standing, with a swirling, skidding brake, kicking up gravel and dust all around as the wheels turned and spun.

Now what?

The car had barely stopped before driver's door flew open and a long leg shod in a knee-high red boot became visible. The second leg followed as rapidly, and to the sound of a barfing doglet. And I began to have my suspicions. Yes, head on spot, it was no other than my step-aunt Freya Vanadide who came out from that car, carrying her small Chihuahua Habibi in her right arm hook, Prada bag on the left arm.

"Where's Loki," she called out as she came running up to the three of us, and Fenrir and I faced each other, before my brother answered her.
"He's not available at the moment. Good morning by the way!"
"Uh, good morning," the corn-silk blond Aesir said, then she turned to her dog. "Quiet, Habibi, quiet!" After that she was addressing us again. "It's essential that I get to speak to my brother as soon as possible! And I said quiet, Habibi!"

But the Chihuahua didn't obey, apparently it smelled the wolf trace emitting from Fenrir, and since he was in his human form, the little dog was probably not getting a thing, and wondering where that wolf was hiding and why. So it kept on barking, hoping to lure it out in the daylight, while Freya went on.

"My step-brother is in big trouble. There's these people out to get him, and they are sending one of these, uh, abacus-creatures to take him."
"An Abraxas?" Fenrir tried.
"Yes, yes, that's what I mean," she almost huffed. "I learned these things from a fella in Milan, there's a price on Loki's head and there are people who has a plan to cash in."
"Who told you?" I asked.
"Fella working for me," was all Freya wanted to say before she told her dog off again.

"Well, unfortunately you're late," Fiona snapped. "That Abraxas was here minutes ago and took my husband away."
"Oh, crap!" Freya's eyes darted over to Fiona as if seeing her for the first time. "And who exactly are you?"
"I am Fiona Laufeyson, Loki's wife," Fiona said in an ice cold voice, holding out her hand, as if wishing that the blonde woman should not accept it. But Freya took it, squeezing it no longer than what protocol demanded. Apparently Fiona had gotten off badly with Freya too, she seemed to have quite the knack for these things.

But before the women began staring each other down, I cut them off.
"Freya, you better tell us exactly what you learned about those who might have taken my father. Everything, every detail which can be of importance."
"Every detail which you can come to think of," Fenrir added. "Every darn little comma might include a clue to those who have taken him."
"But before that, let's go inside!" I added, trying to sound as if I was the hostess of this place rather than Fiona, who wasn't exactly doing the job of her role.

***

Ten minutes later, we were sitting in the orangery, I had asked Tim, the butler, to make us coffee and to bring some stronger beverages for those who should so desire. I had also talked briefly with Igor, he told me he had been in touch with Lucrezia who was coming over, but that he had not been able to reach Pierre. After that Igor had taken the pastries he had made and the promised bottles of wine and driven away to the meeting of Médecins sans Frontières in Saint Mélia, Loki disappearing shouldn't mean that these people were let down. The show must go on! Igor had also taken Fatima with him, to somewhat keep her away from the worst disaster. And when Fiona had calmed down a bit and we hopefully knew more, or at least had a plan, the mother ought to be able to explain to her daughter what was going on and what we were to do about it.

"Nicola Sella, my employee that is," Freya began. "He learned this from a man they found snooping around on my estate outside Venice. Nicola, Vittorio and Vasco, well, those are men working for me, they busted this bloke and when he lacked a reasonable explanation for what he was up to, they threated to give him a mop up, and when hearing that the man freaked out and pleaded that he was really around because he had information to sell. I don't know which was originally true, that he was a spy initially or and information runner hoping to cash in. But I don't care. The major point is that I learned what danger my brother was in, and that I had to warn him. So as you can see, I left Italy in quite the rush, drowe here like insane, hardly stopping to fill up gas."

"Why do you have these guys working for you?" Fiona cut her off, making a face.
"For security reasons," Freya replied and drank of her coffee. "There are a lot of rotten things going on in Italy these days, and you need to know the right people and you need to be protected, or it's impossible to do business there."
"What kind of business is it you do, signora Vanadide?"
"I'm running a model agency, photo models for magazines and catwalk models. And yes, they do get to eat," she huffed as if to stop Fiona from saying what she feared she might.

"We're deriving from the subject, ladies," I cut in. "Tell us more, what did that man you busted say to your guys?"
"He asked to be released in exchange for information about my brother, or rather about enemies of my brother."
"He knew you and dad were related?" Fenrir asked.
"Apparently."
"And your guys believed him?"
"They can be very convincing," Freya told. "Besides, Vasco is mildly telepathic, he can determine if someone's lying or telling the truth. A very handy trait in their business."

Freya then changed position in the chair, put down her cup and stopped scratching Habibi (who had finally laid off barking, but was just glaring at Fenrir with suspicious black buttons of eyes) and showed with the whole body language that she was now getting down to the bone with her story.

"This Carlo Retti, that was the name of the bloke, he told my guys that his employer, a certain Lothario, had received contract money for laying his hands on my brother. Lothario is apparently a vampire and a tamer of what Italians refer to as 'special creatures'. Including those whatsitcalled."
"Abraxas," Fenrir clarified.
"Yes, Abraxas," Freya answered. "Lothario was sending one of these here to France and to your estate to get hold on Loki and to bring him to where he was apparently supposed to be brought."

"So this Lothario didn't want dad himself?" I asked.
"No," Freya shook her blonde head. "Apparently this man only does things like this for money. And for blood of course. These days there are vampires who have learned the more convenient way of paying for blood rather than running around in the night and biting random people. And get all kinds of drugs and deceases as a bonus. And Lothario is one of these. He's selling his supernatural creatures as wet workers. To the mob and to others who might have a use for a large and efficient killer. Or, as in this case, an abductor."
"And who was paying to get hold of our father?" Fenrir now asked, refilling his glass with Scotch and downing it in one drag. For some reason that man could drink a lot and not appear affected.

"That was more than this guy knew. But Vasco paid a little visit at Lothario's, spoke with the secretary. She didn't tell him anything of importance of course, but while they were talking, her mind was spinning around. And became focused on a card. A card, which Vasco plucked with him in an unguarded moment." Now, Freya reached inside of her purse and brought out a card, which she placed on the marble table.

Fenrir was picking it up.
"That looks like Russian runes," he frowned.
"Kyrillan Letters puh-leeze!" Fiona was sniding.
Okay, Mrs. knows it all Kyrillian Letters then," he turned the card over to Fiona. "So what does it say?"
"I don't know."
"But you know it's Russian? Not Romanian or something?" Freya asked. "They do use the same kind of runes after all."

I smirked a bit at the way she was also using the word 'runes' instead of alphabet or letters. However I had no idea if Freya was doing it to annoy my step mother or if it was just out of old habit. At the same time I was hearing voices out in the hallway, it was Igor returning with Fatima. And Fiona stood, apparently more interested in taking care of her daughter than listening to us. The next thing, Igor had replaced her, and he was filling an empty glass with scotch and downing it just like his brother had minutes earlier. And Habibi was barking again, now it was a SECOND wolf in the fold, and the poor doggie could still not spot any of them. Talk about being exasperated! However this time Freya managed to silence the dog with a sharp command.

"So how did it go?" Fenrir asked.
"Great," Igor replied. "No one asked for dad really. They know he's a busy man."

Then Igor got the two minutes version of what we had been discussing earlier, ending with Fenrir handing him the card.
"You know some Russian after all, right?"
"Yes, but this is Bulgarian," Igor said after glancing at the card.
"Uh, too bad, we had wanted to know what it said."
"Well, it's an address. To a Spa hotel outside Sofia."
"You think dad's there?" I asked, a faint trace of hope colouring my voice.

"No, that would be too easy," Fenrir huffed. "That was probably just contact information for Lothar when he was done, and was to collect the money or something."
"So how do we learn anything more?" I asked. "By going to Sofia?"
"No," Fenrir said. "By going to Athens."
"Athens?" Freya, Igor and I choired.
"Yes, the European oracle lives there. And she owes me one for saving her ass once. And now, I believe it's time to collect."

I looked at my brother, feeling that I could need another drink as well. Sure, I knew about the oracles, there were seven of them around the world, one for each continent save for Australia, and two connected to Asia, one in India and the other in Taiwan. The European one was located in Athens, Greece, and then there was an African one somewhere in Kenya, a North American oracle in New Orleans and a South American one in Rio. They all had strong supernatural powers when it came to see possible futures, to see the past and to connect events and people to objects, by reading their imprints or energy vibes. And they all had a few other things in common as well, like being female and being creepy as hell.

I had never met an oracle myself, but both Lucrezia and my cousin Donatella had told me about then. Thor's daughter had met the Indian oracle once during a trip to the large country. And she had wanted to know a few simple things about her own future, like if she was going to be admitted to that university she wanted to attend and if and when she was to meet the love of her life. But she told me she had come out trembling, the bitch had apparently scared the living daylight out of poor Donatella. And she's not someone easily scared.

"So you're going to Athens then, Fenrir?" I asked.
"Yes," he nodded his head. "And I imagine I can need some support, so  why don't you come with me, Lourdes?"
"Forget it," I protested, holding up my hands. "Oracles give me the creeps. I'm not doing it! Besides, I'm going home the day after tomorrow."
"Lourdes," Fenrir bored his yellow eyes into me, his face serious. "We have our father to save, and I think that's more important than your cosmetic surgery business in LA. And no matter that this oracle owes me, they are hard to comprehend very often. So I can really need some female intuition here, some help with understanding what this woman says."

"But..." I tried.
"Lourdes," Igor cut in. "All good heads and hands are in need now, and you can do this for our father. So please! For his sake."

I swallowed hard.
"Freya," I tried. "Can you perhaps help? Or perhaps Lucrezia can..."
"I'm asking you," Fenrir said. "You're people skills can be of help here. More than the one of our sister or aunt."
"Al right," I heard myself say. "So when are we leaving? I have to call Gaetania, tell her that family reasons have elongated my stay in Europe."
"I'm sure she understands," Freya said and laid her hand upon my arm.
"I suggest we leave tomorrow," Fenrir said. "First thing in the morning. I'll book airplane tickets."
:-)
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