Paul
I end the call with Jon,
turning off the speaker function when I hang up. Drew and I relayed all that’s transpired, and after Jon calmed down he told us what’s been going on up there. The gratitude I feel toward Asa overwhelms me. He took care of my family like he said he would. I might not always understand the bald muscle man, but as a seethe mate, I know I can count on him.
Drew handles the landing with ease and confidence, never betraying his conflicting thoughts whirling below the surface. If he hadn’t told me he was on edge and concerned about making a wrong decision, I wouldn’t have known. Makes me glad I’m not in his shoes, that’s for sure.
The most stress I ever had to deal with as a chef was making sure the diner liked their meal. And since I came to work for the V V Inn that has never been a concern—most of the patrons prefer blood.
Chelly booked a large suite of rooms at a high-end hotel during the plane’s descent. She made sure to get a fridge, so we can store all the bagged blood. Drew insisted we bring the entire supply, because we didn’t know what shape Vivian might be in or what awaited us. Even though he doubts himself, I think he’s making the best choices he could for all of us, so far.
It’s close to midnight by the time we get checked in and hire a car to take us to the Tribunal’s townhouse across the city. I asked if we were planning on walking up and knocking on their door and Drew suggested that might not be the smartest move. In hindsight, he was quite diplomatic. Rather stupid of me to think we’d just walk right up like nothing was wrong.
The only intel we have regarding the building is memories of the city block and property boundaries uncovered when we researched Emiko’s possible guilt in January. My memory isn’t the best—it wasn’t like I was studying the maps thinking I’d be visiting anytime soon. Do we have enough to go on, or will this turn out to be a colossal mess?
Drew signals for the driver to pull over a few blocks from the address. We’re both dressed in dark clothes, but one glance at the surrounding facades of the imposing architecture tells me we’re way underdressed for the area. Thankfully, I doubt many homeowners will be out and about this late at night to raise the alarm. Then again, if these wealthy streets have a lot of patrolling police, we’ll stand out like crooks in a heartbeat.
Drew pays the driver and the car disappears into the night. The air carries a damp chill and smells clean from a recent rain. The streets glisten with moisture and puddles, like fresh ink has been poured across the dark surface. The temperature feels much warmer here than on the island we left almost six hours ago.
“Are you okay, Paul?” Drew asks.
“Hmm?” I say, lost in my own thoughts.
“We need to pay attention. I’m not sure how far the Tribunal’s land reaches in this area.”
“Yeah, I hear you.” I fill my lungs with the cool night air. “It still seems like we don’t really have a plan.”
A heavy sigh comes from Drew as he walks next to me along the sidewalk. “I thought the best bet would be to scope out the townhouse and see who comes and goes. See if we can find a way in undetected. Are you implying that’s not good enough?”
“I’m not criticizing, man. I don’t have a better idea, either.” We step off the curb, crossing to the other side still two blocks from the address. In the middle of the narrow road, a tingle encases my whole body, like the mild after-effects of a limb that had its circulation cut off for a moment. Anxiety, quick and sharp, stabs me. Before I have a chance to figure out what I’m experiencing, the sensation is over. “Did you feel that, man?”
“Feel what?” Drew steps onto the curb on the other side of the street.
I shrug, not sure how to put it into words. “Was probably nothing. Felt a tingle over my body.”
“Like déjà vu?” A late night wind whips by, dislodging the water on the overhanging tree branches to send a light sprinkle on our heads.
“Nah. That’s always more mental for me than physical. Did you feel anything?”
Drew scans the neighborhood ahead of us. “No. Nothing. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t there.”
I laugh nervously, appalled when the sound comes out more like a high-pitched giggle. “Why would I feel something that you didn’t?”
“Each of us has different strengths as vampires. Lots of abilities repeat among our kind, and a few are more rare. Your reaction could have been a form of intuition.”
“Great,” I say, my voice higher pitched than normal. “One more thing to figure out.” We walk in silence a little longer until my curiosity rears its head. “How much further?”
Drew motions with his head. “Down this block and the main townhouse should be at the far end of the next block we come to.”
Two shadows melt out of the night and step in front of us. I stop in my tracks, turn my head to address Drew and catch two more slip into place behind us. A faint wisp of death and blood clings to the men, indicating they’re vampires. The light from the next streetlamp lies too far away to make out facial details, but they’re all wearing dark clothes and black overcoats.
The larger of the two in front of us steps forward, radiating menace. He looks to be six foot five and must have been a weight lifter before he changed to have such a huge build. “Planning an unannounced visit to the Tribunal?” he says.
Somehow they knew we were here and must be advanced security. Well, there goes our crappy
sneak up and check things out all stealthy like
plan.
“We’re here to speak with our master,” Drew says. “She came here for the event last night.”
“And who might that be?”
“Vivian Alexandria McAndrews.”
The muscled man relaxes, his stiff posture gone in a blink. “You’re part of Alexandria’s seethe?” He extends a hand to Drew then me. “I’m George. Follow us back to the house.”
Without another word, we’re shepherded to an elegant four-story townhouse. The men surrounding us don’t seem angry, but there’s no doubt we’re expected to do as told. I open my mouth to ask Drew a question, and he shakes his head once in the negative, not wanting to talk with these men in hearing distance.
George leads us up steep front steps and through the grandest foyer I’ve ever seen. The woven wall hangings vie with lit torches for my attention. Good God, burning torches? What century is this? Strangely, they don’t smell smoky or of the fuel they must be using. I wonder what makes them burn. Magic?
The huge vampire turns to look back at us to make sure we’re following. Like we have a choice? Under the bright light of the chandeliers, I get a better look at the massive wall of a man. He’s got short black hair and a goatee on a face that looks like he’s seen his share of fighting. The other three vampires in our escort break away in the foyer, leaving us alone with the silent George.
He leads us to a secluded room with no windows, located in the back of the dwelling. A plain wood table sits inside surrounded by four hard-backed chairs. The walls are bare of decoration. Compared to the opulence we saw on our way in, the set up reminds me a little too much of a nicely appointed interrogation room. A glance at Drew’s narrowed eyes indicates he might be thinking the same thing.
The gigantic vampire motions us inside, a reassuring smile on his face. “Please, go inside. Someone will be here to speak with you shortly.”
The thick wood door closes behind us, and a lock clicks into place.
Drew swears like a trucker before lowering himself onto a seat. “That didn’t go as planned.”
“What’s the big deal? We’re here aren’t we? That George guy seemed pretty easy-going. We’ll find out what’s going on in a few minutes. Maybe Viv and Rafe’s phones broke or something.”
Drew hangs his head then peers up at me. “
Both
their phones? Did you not hear the door lock? The big security guys might be polite, but make no mistake—we’re not here as guests.”
I take the seat across from him, more comfortable than my partner in crime. I laugh. “How much you want to bet it’s something simple, like they lost their phones and there’s a ‘do not disturb’ sign on their bedroom door?”
Drew’s face emanates a slow burn as he struggles for control. “Listen, you fool—” He breaks off when the door opens and two men slip inside, closing the door behind them.
One is tall, with a lanky runner’s build and a broad chest. He looks to be in his late twenties and is dressed in head to toe black, his shirt looking a bit more faded than the rest. There’s a smell coming off him that I can’t quite place. I don’t think he’s an undead, that’s for sure.
The other man appears more ageless with dark hair, wearing clothes befitting class and money. Dark dress pants, pressed with a sharp crease, and a dinner jacket over a starched white shirt. This chap is a vampire but other than that I couldn’t say how old or powerful—the old ones know how to shield extremely well.
Drew bolts from his chair, pointing a finger at the scruffy guy in black jeans. “A wizard? It’s never good when one of you is among us. What the hell is going on?”
Horror crosses my face. What is the matter with him? He’s acting like they’re out to kill us or something. The other vampire speaks, the smooth rolling tones of his voice pours into the room with a faint Spanish accent. “You’ll find out soon enough, Mr. Lipshultz.” And with that, he flips a button near the door and the floor opens beneath us.
The table and chairs cascade down a long, wide chute, with us tumbling along, too. Screams rip from my throat as I fall through the darkness. We crash to the cold stone below, the chairs and table splintering on the impact. Loud, sickening crunches—not of furniture breaking—accompany my landing. Pain radiates out from every inch of my body, confirming the sounds were bones snapping.
An overwhelming reek of death permeates the air—like a mix of blood past its prime, stale air, and an undercurrent of unwashed vampire bodies. Ugh. I’ve never smelled anything quite so disgusting before.
I lie still in the darkness, waiting for the shock to recede. A low moan issues from my left. A door flies opens and I hear something being dragged out of the room.
The door shuts, and now the only noise breaking the silence is my own labored breathing. The full despair of the situation hits me as I lie here, waiting to heal. Someone came and took Drew. I’m all alone and completely unprepared for whatever happens next.
Or, as my lovely wife Bunny would tell me, “Honey, you’re fucked.”
Asa
I don’t trust Cy
and want to know why he tried to push into my head, but, I’ve shoved my fears and worries aside to listen to Jon. The werewolf relayed the discoveries of the day and shared the alpha’s thoughts on a plan utilizing Cy and me.
We’re sitting in the command center, the blank screens of the security monitors glowing slightly even with no picture displaying. To make matters worse, all of the cameras on the property, aside from the ones attached to the main building and the apartments, have been shot out.
We won’t have any advanced warning of their movements as this siege progresses. Risking our guests’ safety to leave the property has become much greater—we may be forced to let them access the tunnels just to get on a plane.
Energy coils inside me, causing me to open and close my fists in a sign of a nervous edge. I may not want to work with Cy, and part of me wants to beat him to a pulp, but the rational section of my brain knows such an attempt would be foolhardy and not solve the current dilemma.
As a soldier, I have to work above my personal dislike of a comrade. I have to trust he’ll do his job even if I don’t want him covering my back. Biggest problem with my logic is Cy is not military and ignoring the screams of protest in my mind make my head hurt. Best to shove my feelings into a tight corner and focus on what we can do in the here and now to protect the werewolves from further harm.
I look to my master’s servant as he pulls up an aerial view of the property on an iPad. Jon points out the location of the hunters’ base camp and explains how he wants us to try and interrogate these men using our mind control abilities.
“Three men to take down over a dozen werewolves?” Cy looks skeptical. “It doesn’t sound like their original plan was smart odds when they thought it up.”
Whether I like the bastard or not, he’s made a good point. The equipment Jon described sounds more like armed militia or weekend warrior than government trained grunts. Why would you bring three against almost twenty wolves? I look at Jon and contemplate what enemies he could have made over the years. “Could they have come hunting for only one and found more when they arrived?”
Cy raises an eyebrow and looks at Jon. “Hmmm…. Who’d you piss off, boy?”
Jon’s shock rolls off his body. “Me? What the fuck are you saying?” His voice takes on an angry edge. “I’ve spent the last seven years isolated in this frozen corner of the world.” Realizing the unlikelihood of our implication, his anger leaves him as quick as it arrived. “You two are barking up the wrong tree.” He smiles at the pun in his own phrase. “I didn’t lead anyone here, nor does anyone hate me enough to come knocking—at least, not that I know of.”
The cagey vampire from New York stands and stretches. “No matter. We’ll find out when we question them, right?”
Jon nods and leads us down the hall toward the tunnel entrance in the north wing. I wave Cy forward, not eager to have him behind me sooner than he needs to be. I never had a chance to tell Jon about my run in with Cy, and despite my apprehension I must follow the path we’ve set tonight. Jon is still my superior in the seethe. Cy’s arrival doesn’t change that. The more I thought about it early this morning, they more I wondered why Cy tried what he did with me.
Could he be a manipulator, and suggested me for Alaska with the hopes I’d find out information on his maker for him? Holy shit, would Vivian have suspected me of such actions, and maybe that’s why she went into my mind? I shake my head, appalled at the complexity in the inner secrets of seethes.
Vivian turned Cy loose after only a few months in her company, confident in his abilities that he wouldn’t run rabid and kill people indiscriminately, putting the species at risk. But could he have developed vampire compulsion powers afterward and she was unaware of it? And if that’s the case, how many of her earlier progeny could hold the same traits?
Jon keys in the security code, out of Cy’s view, and opens the door to usher us in. “You’ve got your phone, Asa?”
I pat the device in my front pocket and the gun strapped to my thigh, too. “Yup.”
“I’ll stay upstairs near a window. Call me if you need my help.”
I nod, sure I won’t be calling and risking my master’s servant even if I do run into trouble. I slipped on a Kevlar vest before putting my jacket on. Unless the hunters find a way to behead me, I’m pretty secure.
Cy and I move single file through the tunnel, silently passing the rooms holding the young family. I lead the way since he has no idea where we’re going. We decided to use Paul and Bunny’s cabin again for its location and convenience. I take us on the long route, deliberately making the path harder for my old master to memorize.
“Quite a maze down here, isn’t it?” Cy asks after passing through the sixth steel door.
“Yes, it is,” I say, careful to hide my grin. With any luck he’ll be thoroughly confused when we arrive at the couple’s bedroom closet.
A chill works its way into my gut and takes hold. I could very well be in the middle of something much bigger than I bargained for. Unlike during my time living with Cy and Aunt Cali, I am well and truly bound in blood with Vivian. I re-pledged my loyalty to her in January after she revealed her true powers and I don’t doubt the decision.
The information I’ve been able to dig up on her rare branch of vampire power has been extremely limited. I have a feeling Drew knows more, but he hasn’t been forthcoming with me. Then again, it’s not like I’ve asked him. I’ve been so happy since Eric and Pat arrived, I didn’t want to rock the boat with digging deep in things best left unknown.
Vivian’s abilities scare the shit out of me. My own meditation started to safeguard my mind. It could do nothing when facing her true power—but I had to try something. I never dreamed strengthening my own mental shields would be needed against my aunt’s husband. After a dozen more turns we make it to the ladder leading into the cabin.
“Jesus. That was a hike,” Cy breaks the silence when I stop and check my supplies once more. “This is it?”
I nod, still not willing to engage the bastard in conversation. In a few minutes, we’re standing by the living room windows, using night scopes to check for signs of movement.
“Follow me to their encampment,” I say. “If we don’t find them we’ll split up and search, making our way back to the inn separately. If there’s gunfire, we meet back here and travel the tunnels to return undetected. Clear?”
Cy agrees, and we slip out into the darkness of the icy night. The temperature dropped back into the single digits when the sun set, reminding us that the short spring the tundra sees is still a ways off. The warmth of the cabin seems like a distant memory as the cold sears my throat and scorches a fiery path to my lungs.
We race through the black, dodging trees and passing soundlessly among the brush. Quickly, we arrive at the map location Jon showed us. The hunters’ campsite appears empty with no sign of recent use. We split up, both of us searching the area for hunters or traps they may have left for the wolves.
Once my old master disappears from view, a heaviness I was unaware of slips from my shoulders. I must have been tenser in Cy’s presence than I wanted to admit to myself. The silence of the woods cocoons me, bringing a measure of peace to my racing thoughts.
I breathe in and out slowly, trying to focus my thoughts and open up my mind’s eye to the energies around me. No matter how much I might like to, I can’t will the hunters to appear before me. After a while, I realize searching quietly through several square miles of woods reminds me of digging for a needle in a haystack. I begin to doubt our chances of finding them.
A thin line of darkness stands next to a slim tree trunk. I creep forward and discover a noose trap hidden along an old animal trail. Grabbing a dead branch from the ground, I trip the rope to trigger the trap and render it useless.
I uncover several more traps like this over the next few hours, including four steel bear traps. Looking high and low, I search the narrow trees for signs the hunters may be lurking, rifle aimed toward the inn. Nothing. My time in Afghanistan, even in winter, wasn’t an environment even remotely close to the Alaskan tundra, but I had really expected my training to give me an edge in finding them.
If that slick city vamp finds them before I do, it will burn my ass. I flex and tighten my hands again, hoping to drive some of the biting cold from my extremities. The temperature started to seep in over an hour ago, as it invariably will if you’re not protected well enough from it. The thin coat I’m wearing was to ensure stealthy movements more than warmth, and now, I’m regretting it.
I tighten my path to the inn on every pass, but still see no signs of the actual hunters. The cleared property closest to the inn is landscaped way beyond what would thrive here in nature. The gardens look good, even in the dead of winter with their light-festooned statues, small bushes, and lots of lit mini-Christmas trees—there is certainly not a lack of things to hide behind as I work my way to an entrance.
Within the hour, I’m seated in the conference room, sipping from a piping hot travel mug filled with bloodcoffee. A small note of pride filled me upon hearing Cy withstood only half the time outdoors that I did. Unfortunately, he didn’t locate the hunters either, so I wisely keep my boastful thoughts regarding his weakness to the cold to myself. The bastard never would have lasted long in January when they hunted Emiko.
“Jon,” Cy says, “why haven’t you connected mentally with Vivian to tell her what’s going on?”
Jon waves him off. “Our link is weaker due to the distance. She told me it might happen.”
Cy puts his mug down. “Nope, that’s not right. You’re her vampire servant, right?”
A wary look comes over Jon. “Yeah. What’s your point?”
“That bond should stay strong permanently, unless the vampire weakens it on purpose.”
“What are you saying? Vivian promised she’d never cut me out again.” Jon’s face freezes, realizing he may have revealed more than he’d wanted.
Cy laughs and looks at me. “He doesn’t get it?”
I shrug.
“Get what?” Jon asks, anger coloring his tone.
“A werewolf getaway in Alaska. Lots of available females.”
Jon looks confused. “What does that have to do with my link to Vivian? She wouldn’t push me away if I needed her—and this little vacation idea has turned to shit fairly quickly.”
“Wake up, man.” Cy reaches for the carafe. “She couldn’t have predicted the danger, but she was thinning the link on purpose.”
“Why?”
I answer the Were, the light clicking on for me a lot sooner than it has for Jon. “So you could find a mate.”
Jon freezes for a moment and then bolts from his chair, emotions flying across his face. Hope flares to life for an instant and then he closes his eyes and stills himself.
His eyes slit and stares right at Cy. “You said ‘thinning the connection’, right?” The vampire nods. “Well, what if the link is gone completely?”
The room goes silent as we all mentally weigh the implications his statement could mean. I lean forward and place my mug on the table. A heavy sigh rolls from my chest and I resist the urge to put my head in my hands. “Oh man, that can’t be good.”