Andrew stood to one side listening to the others, but formulating his own plan. He knew what Dakar wanted along with the leadership of the Underworld. He had seen the lustful expression on Dakar’s face when they had been alone. Even though it had been Tommy’s face at the time, the demon’s mind had been open to him and Andrew knew Dakar wanted him. How badly, he was not sure, but there was one way to find out.
“I have an idea,” he said in the lull that had followed Marcus’ statement. “One of us should infiltrate Dakar’s stronghold and break the thrall he has over his recruits. I volunteer for that task.”
“
Andrew
,” Jared said in protest, “Dakar would order your immediate execution if you went anywhere near.”
“No, he would not. Dakar revealed something about himself to me when still in Tommy’s body. He wants to bed me—”
“All the more reason to stay away.” Jared gripped Andrew’s arm. “Do you think for one moment you would be safe because the demon lusts after you? He would most likely have you chained and fuck you whenever he wanted release. Demons do not possess feelings that go beyond pure physical need—they don’t
love
, Andrew.”
“I don’t want him to love me, Jared.” Andrew smiled at his ex-lover. “I will not even allow him to touch me. What I will allow is for him to think I am willing to have sex with him, that is all, and it should be enough to let me gain access to his compound and his recruits. Once there I can free them of the power he and his followers have over them.”
“Man, you make it sound so easy,” Roger said. “But you can’t go in there alone.”
“Do we even know where
there
is?” Micah asked.
Marcus nodded. “A disused airfield between here and San Diego. Some corporation had plans to construct aircraft. They had even built a giant hanger, but they had to pull out www.total-e-bound.com
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when the economy collapsed.” He stared long and hard at Andrew. “Your plan has many risks, but it is a way of getting inside without harming the humans. We would have to be there close by, however, if something should go wrong. Will you agree to that, at least?”
“Yes…” Andrew squeezed Jared’s arm gently. “I will be careful, and knowing you are all within reach should I need you, will give me extra courage.”
“Very well…” Marcus sent Jacob Quince a mind message informing him of this latest development. “Now we need a strategy to support Andrew.”
“We also need to ensure our mortal companions are unaware of what we’re doing,”
Joseph said. “Jean-Claude, can we put their safe keeping in your hands? Perhaps you could invite them over to Ron’s restaurant until we let you know we have been successful, and Dakar is no longer a threat?”
Jean-Claude nodded. “I’d rather join you in the fight, but you’re right, we need to keep them all safe.”
Tommy felt a little put out when he got home and found the apartment empty. He’d had a bitch of a day. The accident on the freeway had been a bad one with multiple vehicles involved, gasoline leaking all over the tarmac, people trapped inside their cars and SUVs.
Damn, what a mess
. And he’d been worried about Alex whenever his mind hadn’t been fully occupied with the task at hand.
He stripped off his sweat-stained T-shirt, pulled a beer from the fridge and headed for the shower. He’d have loved it if Andrew had been home, ready to listen about the day he’d had, kiss him and make him feel better, get in the shower with him…
“Quit whining,” he muttered, dropping his pants, his boxers and stepping into the shower. “Oh, yeah, feels good.” He stood under the scalding hot spray and soaped himself vigorously.
Wonder where Andrew is. Did he find out anything about Alex’s disappearance?
Chief hadn’t heard any more since Alex’s note saying he’d quit.
Jeez, but this is so unlike Alex
!
He had to admit to a certain amount of hurt feelings that Alex hadn’t confided in him about his decision to leave—not just leave—
disappear
. They were buddies, after all, and even if Tommy hadn’t come clean about Andrew, they’d always shared every other aspect of their lives with one another.
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Sighing, he turned off the shower and grabbed a towel, rubbing his skin hard until it tingled. In the bedroom he pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt then finished off his beer.
A knock at the door surprised him. They didn’t get too many unannounced visitors.
“Tommy, it’s Alex.”
Alex, thank God!
He swung the door open and welcomed his friend with a warm hug.
“Jeez, Alex, you had us all worried. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Alex stepped back and gave Tommy a cool smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“But you quit without telling me—” Tommy paused as something in Alex’s expression warned him that his friend was not okay. “What’s wrong?”
“You need to come with me,” Alex said, his smile still cool and detached. “The Master needs you.”
“What?” Tommy took a step back. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t resist, Tommy. It’s easier if you just give in.”
“Alex.” Tommy knew now without a doubt that something bad had happened to his friend. His eyes widened as a tall, dark-haired man he didn’t recognise stepped into the doorway. “Who’s this? What’s going on, Alex? Talk to me, dammit!”
“You have to come with Jason and me,” Alex said softly, at the same time palming some kind of object in his hand. “Don’t fight it, Tommy.”
“The hell I won’t!” Alex was his friend but Tommy was damned if he’d just go
wherever
without some kind of explanation. “You tell me first what’s going on!”
“Jason.” Alex turned to the tall, dark man now at his side who lunged at Tommy, taking him down so easily Tommy could scarcely believe it. His muscles strained to shove the guy off him, but it was as if he were powerless. He was aware of Alex leaning over him, then a sharp stinging sensation in his neck.
“
Alex
. What…?” He felt the pressure of the man’s body leave him but he lay helplessly on his back, staring up at the two men standing over him. His vision blurred and darkness overcame him as he slipped into unconsciousness.
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Andrew stood at one end of a maze of catwalks that led off in several different directions. His vampire senses told him that the main part of Dakar’s stronghold lay somewhere beneath his feet. The scent of human bodies was strong but he could also detect a powerful force field blocking unauthorised entry. He needed Dakar to remove the power that held the force field in place—either that or end the demon’s life, effectively destroying the force field by default.
He could also sense the presence of demonkind nearby—Dakar’s accomplice, who’d been with Dakar the night Alex had met them in the bar. Andrew stepped out in full sight of the sub-demon.
“How did you get in here?” Arturo snarled.
Andrew returned the sub-demon’s glare with an enigmatic smile. “Easily. Your human guards cannot detect the speed with which a vampire moves.”
“What do you want?”
“I wish an audience with your leader, Dakar.”
“Impossible!”
“Really? I think you had better find out from Dakar himself before you make such a statement.”
Arturo advanced on Andrew, his face dark with rage. “You will stay away from him.
He has no use for vampires!”
“I think he has a use for this vampire,” Andrew said, chuckling softly. “And I repeat, I think you had better ask Dakar if he will see me or not.”
“Why tell me? Why not go directly to him?”
“Because as you know, Dakar has placed a guarding ward around his quarters. I could destroy it, but I want our meeting to be cordial.”
“
Cordial
?” Arturo snickered. “He wants more from you than cordiality.”
“I know what he wants and I am prepared to give it to him.”
“Why? You are vampire, and one of Marcus Verano’s lackeys. You are our enemy!”
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“I am tired of Marcus’ weak-willed philosophy,” Andrew said, hoping his words held the ring of truth. “I find that what Dakar can offer me is more appealing.”
“I don’t believe you.” Arturo grabbed Andrew by the throat and tried forcing him back towards the catwalk railing. “I think you are here to destroy us—but I will stop you!”
“No, you won’t.” Andrew gripped Arturo’s wrist and wrenched it to one side, snapping the bone. He cut off the sub-demon’s howl of pain before it was heard by breaking his neck. The sub-demon’s dead weight collapsed into Andrew’s arms. Quickly, he pushed the body behind some nearby packing cases then hurried towards the area he sensed was Dakar’s quarters.
There were two guards standing outside, both human. Andrew hesitated. He could release them from Dakar’s thrall but that would leave them confused and in a place that would suddenly appear strange to them, throwing both men into danger. Instead, he approached them, smiling.
“Lord Dakar has requested my presence.” He locked eyes with one guard who nodded and made to open the door.
“Just a minute, you didn’t check his identification,” the other guard started to protest and stood in front of Andrew, barring his entry.
“It’s all right,” Andrew said softly, his eyes boring into the second guard’s.
“Oh, right. Sorry, sir.”
The door was swung open and Andrew passed through into Dakar’s rooms.
Tommy groaned softly and raised a hand to his head.
Jeez, but it hurts
.
Where the hell am
I?
He blinked his eyes open and stared up at Alex who was hovering over him, his face a mask of concern.
“Tommy, you all right?”
“Alex!” Tommy sat up, cursing as the pain in his head worsened. “What the hell did you do to me, and why? And who’s this guy?” He glared at Alex’s companion, recognising him as the one who’d taken him down so easily.
Alex knelt by Tommy’s side. “Man, I am so sorry. This is Jason. We don’t know what’s going on. All either one of us remembers is that we were under some kind of
trance
—I guess that’s the best way to describe it—but it seems to have worn off. Remember that guy I was talking to in the bar when you and Andrew met me there? You said one of them was called www.total-e-bound.com
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Arturo,” Alex continued after Tommy had nodded. “He’s here, and he’s been giving us something to drink, we’re guessing to keep us in the uh, trance. But it hasn’t worked this time around. After we drove you over here the effects started to wear off, and he hasn’t been back to give us more.”
Tommy struggled to take in all of what Alex was saying. “So, you didn’t really quit, did you?” he asked. “You were acting under some kind of spell.”
Andrew will know what this is all
about—but how to contact him?
He sent out a silent call for help. Andrew had told him because of their blood bond he would always know if Tommy was in trouble. He only hoped that distance didn’t matter. Of course, he had no idea where they actually were.
“Where are we, anyway?”
“It’s some abandoned aircraft hangar,” Jason told him, speaking for the first time, “but we’re not sure of the location.”
“Great.”
“Hey, man,” Jason added. “I’m really sorry for attacking you last night. I don’t know what the hell brought all that on. I’ve never hit anyone in my life before.”
“And I’ve never felt so damned helpless before,” Tommy said ruefully. “So, all this has got to be the work of some supernatural force.”
Alex and Jason exchanged glances. “Supernatural?” Alex gripped Tommy’s hand.
“Hey, that drug we gave you must still be playing with your brain.”
“No. Okay, I guess I’m going to have to tell you what’s really going on. Andrew is a…”
Oh shit, they’ll never believe this
.
They
’
ll freak and think I
’
m really nuts
. “Is a v…is
very
into the occult. I didn’t know it until I told him about your sis, Alex. Anyway, when he saw those guys with you the other night, he pegged them for…uh, for demons.”
“
What?
” Both men yelled at the same time.
“Demons,” Tommy said again. “There are such things. I know it’s hard to believe, but how else can you explain your behaviour? In a trance, you said, under some kind of spell, doing things you didn’t want to do—being here dressed in fatigues like you’re in some kind of army.”
“There are dozens of other guys here, women too,” Jason said. “You’re right, it is like an army. We’ve been going through a weapons drill.”
“See? What’s normal about any of that?”
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“But
demons
, Tommy?” Alex gave him a long, hard stare. “You’re actually believing this, aren’t you?”
“Alex…” Tommy tightened his fingers around his friend’s hand. “Believe me, I am not shitting you. They exist, and so do a lot of other…uh, strange things, too. I only hope that—”
His words were cut off as the door to the small room they were in suddenly burst open and two armed men rushed in.
“What’s going on?” one of them snarled, waving an AK47 at them. “You guys are supposed to be in formation. The portal’s going to be opened any time now. We’re on full alert.”
“Portal?” Alex turned questioning eyes on Jason.
“The portal to the Underworld! What’s the matter with you?”
“Fuck me,” Jason whispered, visibly shaken.
The two guards gave each other knowing looks. “They’re out of the thrall,” one of them muttered, his finger tightening on the AK’s trigger, but before either guard could fully react Tommy charged, head down, taking them both by surprise and slamming them into the wall with enough force to momentarily stun them. Alex and Jason jumped into the fray, grabbing the weapons and turning them on the shocked guards.