Eternal Service (38 page)

A low guttural growl escaped his throat. Her body shook in the aftermath of her orgasm. She lay there catching her breath as Raymond kissed his way back up to her neck. Raymond lowered his head to her throat. The scent of her skin, and the blood just beneath, nearly sent him over the edge. His fangs tingled with pleasure as he gently scraped them across her skin and found her vein. He licked her neck once more, and then slowly inserted his fangs into her. His mouth filled with her warm, crimson, life–giving blood. It had been such a long time since he had bitten anyone. His inner vampire needed this, and the taste was perfection. He swallowed. His body warmed from the new blood in his body and from her body heat beneath him.

Blood lust was fully upon him when her blood filled his mouth once more. He needed to be inside her. He wanted to pound her and explode within her. Quickly he sealed the two small puncture wounds on her neck. Her response was to arch her back and cry out. He licked her neck repeatedly until she was brought to the brim of a second climax.

He slid his hardened shaft to the portal of heaven, teasing her in its path. He placed both of his hands on her thighs and held them. He pushed her legs further apart and slowly entered her body. Slowly at first to stretch her out, to prepare her body to accept him. She moaned and dug her nails into his back. She was tight and hugged his sex within her. He slowly slid himself in, inching his long length into her. He desperately wanted to plunge himself entirely within her, but could tell she had not had a lover in a while. She moaned and he tilted her hips slightly forward so he could sheathe himself all the way inside of her. She shifted her body, welcoming him in.

Her slick body tightened around his manhood as he retreated and reseated himself deep within her. Her moans filled his ears as he repeated the movement. She was tight and muscular, and he quickly learned to appreciate the athletic build. Being within her was the most pleasure he had ever felt, and he wasn’t sure just how long he could last. Even without the blood lust, he would still have had a hard time controlling his urges. His urges needed to be reined in. As muscular as she was, she was only human.

He retreated nearly his full–length, and drove into her slowly once again. He repeated the movement again and again until she lifted her knees higher and again arched her back. She exploded under him. By reading her thought patterns he would be able to read any signs of pain, so he allowed himself to drive into her. He felt nearly out of control as he read only pleasure from her mind. Each time his full–length pounded into her exploding body he read only pleasure from her.

Her raspy voice cheered him on. Her body may be human, but her stamina allowed him to ride her hard. He pumped his length faster and faster into her muscular body, her hips in perfect time with his. His body tightened with imminent release.

When his release came, he growled her name. The pleasure rippled through him as he filled her with his hot seed. His manhood spasmed over and over as he held her tightly. He closed his eyes and worked to catch his breath.

He lifted his head to look into her eyes. His face had been pressed against her hair as he had come. She was out of breath and feeling weakened. “You okay?” he asked.

Alex took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes.” With another deep breath she said, “I’m fine. You?”

He nodded and gently kissed her pert little nose. “I love you, Alex.”

Her hands gently massaged his back. “I love you too, Raymond.”

He shifted his weight off her and rolled her on top of him with the two of them still connected. “You feel so good, Alex.” A ringlet of her hair and slid down and hung over her face. He stroked the hair and gently placed it behind her ear. “I’ll love you forever.”

She nuzzled against his now warm body. “Your body temperature is warmer after you make love.” It wasn’t a question, more of a statement.

“Yes. It won’t last. It's your body warmth and blood that warmed me. It will fade soon.”

“I see it as my personal duty to keep your body warm.” She giggled.

He had to laugh inside as he heard her giggle. Maybe there was such a thing as the giggle factor. “Alex, I’m going to make love to you all night.”

Alex called a morning meeting to go over the last minute details. The smaller of the two ballrooms at the hotel would serve for the Arrival Ceremony of the State Dinner; the larger ballroom was for the dinner itself. The perishable flowers would arrive tomorrow, but the tables in the large room were laid out and set with the best linens, silverware and china – all with the White House insignia. Video cameras were positioned within the rooms, the entryway of the building, the driveway to the building, and throughout the parking lots. Most guests would arrive by taxi, but there was a valet service for those who chose to drive themselves.

The hotel preparations kept her busy throughout the day. Raymond wanted to spend more time with her, but her schedule wouldn’t allow for it. The vampires were not needed until the actual event, but the humans were busy checking all entry and exit points and every cubbyhole imaginable.

The humans were already in place when the Colony gathered at the new venue at the Capital Hilton and did a practice run–through, simulating everyone’s roles. Sulie and Ben would be part of the kitchen and wait staff, so they would be busy in the kitchen and in the hall itself looking at table placements, exit doors, and any hiding places assassins could use to their advantage.

Sulie also had one other task. The call from the lab had indicated the type of poison which had been used against Justice McCade. Thankfully, an antidote existed, and she had already administered the medicine to him this morning under a compelling. She had checked five other Justices and those who had been poisoned were also given the antidote. The remaining three would receive their spot–check physicals tonight if they attended the dinner.

Mason would be representing the President. In an earlier meeting with Homeland Security, Dixon, Alex and Raymond, it was suggested the President remain behind because of the vampire threat. Held in a secure location, Daniel would be the President’s bodyguard tonight.

Raymond would work the front desk. He stood in position at one of the security stations that visitors would have to pass to gain entry into the ballroom. Not only were the monitors working to ensure heat signatures from each guest, but Raymond would also be able to sense another predator in the room. An added benefit to his position was that he would help the Colony members enter with concealed weapons.

Sterling would oversee the perimeter of the building and the grounds, which included the parking lot. He dressed in black so he would not be detected by the human team or any arriving guests. He would also run a check on random license plates as a precaution.

William would be the eyes and ears of everyone. His position would be a remote location with video and audio feeds from both the vampire and human teams.

Both Dixon and Alex, the only two humans who could eat human food, posed as guests for tonight’s event. Their reserved seats sat only one table over from the President — close enough to see him chew his food.

Tonight’s com link units were ear buds. They sat low in the ear canal and were small enough to go virtually undetected. The entire team would be in constant communication with one other, with William in tonight’s command seat. The men had mini–cameras within their buttons, glass brims, or even on their neckties; Alex hid her camera in her corsage, and Sulie had hers hidden in her waitress cap. Each video was sent wireless to William, who kept an eye on what everyone else was seeing.

Alex had been briefed about the dead forger and the four forged passes into the dinner. Of course, new passes were issued, as well as announcements of the change in venue. With the death of Verna at the White House a few days ago, there were still three deadly vampires on the loose. It was all going to come down in a few short hours. All she could do now was go home and get dressed.

Alex dressed in a designer knockoff. The black and green gown brought out her emerald eyes and her long auburn hair. The beautiful dress featured a knotted breast, laced waist and fell three–quarters in length, which allowed her to wear her SBC holster on her right thigh. The weapon felt a bit bulky, but the extra fabric of the dress proved very forgiving. The dress seemed a bit short for such a ritzy affair, but she needed access to her SBC Launcher. Her whip was strapped to her back and covered by a black wrap that matched the dress. The dress accentuated her strong athletic build. She accessorized the dress with a black beaded handbag with thin spaghetti straps. The bag contained blood syringes, her identification, and extra bolts for her canon. Tonight she wore her hair down and curled. She strived to attain gorgeous and deadly and felt it was a shame the dress was going to wasted at a State Dinner they’d be working instead of a romantic outing for just her and Raymond.

Of course, she enjoyed looking at him in his lightweight mohair wool tuxedo. The man had taste. The tuxedo was single breasted, single button with besom pockets and side vents. It accentuated Raymond’s powerful build. The fine garment wasn’t as forgiving for concealing an SBC Launcher, but since Raymond was part of the security staff, people would expect him to have a holstered weapon.

Raymond drove her to the event, and they arrived early enough for all the team members to rendezvous and get into their prospective locations. The valet took the keys to the car, giving Alex the ticket to put into her purse.

On their arrival, Raymond walked into the ballroom to man his security station. Alex, wearing her weapons, walked in without detection thanks to Raymond. As Alex passed through to the first of the two ballrooms, she noticed Dixon approach Raymond’s station. Dixon dressed in a classic black, double–breasted tuxedo and fit nicely in with the rest of the crowd.

Once inside, Alex surveyed the room. She noticed Sulie and Ben in their striped red shirts suggesting they were part of the wait staff. “Sulie, I see you at my 2 o’clock; Ben, you are at my 11 o’clock. We still have to wait for Mason to arrive as the President. We have less than an hour until the Arrival Ceremony begins.” They acknowledged her appearance and she approached some of the human team members for a status update.

Dixon now entered the first of the ballrooms. Speaking into his earpiece he announced, “I have a visual on Alex, Sulie and Ben. I’m making my way to the second ballroom.”

“Video and audio strength are good. You’re all coming in loud and clear,” William said from his remote location.

“If anyone cares, I’m here too. In position with nothing to report,” came Sterling from his position outside.

Alex checked her secure com panel. The message read, “P.O.T.U.S. Beast on route.” She whispered into her com unit that the President was on his way to the dinner in the Beast, the presidential limo, and everyone needed to be on guard. The President of France and his wife had just arrived, and the Secret Service remained on alert.

“I’m not sensing any vampires in the ballroom,” Ben said.

“There are none,” William chimed in. “All guests are giving off heat signatures.”

The team waited a few more minutes as guests filed in; then the loud speaker announced the President was entering the ballroom. The State Dinner would begin after the Arrival Ceremony, which consisted of drinks and appetizers. Guests milled about talking and drinking. Ben and Sulie walked among the guests carrying either cocktails or appetizers.

Each of the Colony team members positioned themselves strategically along the exits of the room as the President, or more to the point, Mason, entered. So far, everything was picture–perfect.

The President was introduced to the President of France and his wife while the press snapped pictures. Afterward the President talked with department heads, senators, and others. Everything seemed pretty tame. But that was just before the vampires crashed the party.

Raymond took his position with the human security team. The human stench hit him immediately as the humans took their posts. Most of the guards had eaten an early dinner in preparation for working the late evening hours. He could smell the lingering stench of their food on their breaths.

His station stood at the far end of the entryway, but even so, he could also feel the anxiety in the air from the newer guards who felt excited and worried about security procedures. The mental patterns were hard to bear, but at least the two humans assigned to Raymond’s station were used to security procedures. They saw the assignment as just another work day. Unfortunately, the humans were the last two Raymond wanted to work with.

Four stations existed in total. Three neighbored one another at the main entrance, but the fourth station, where Raymond would be working, was singled out. It still remained in the main entryway, but a stone pillar forced a separation of it from the others. Thanks to the Secret Service, the stations had been secured by magnitometers to detect guns, knives, and bombs. All guests would have to walk through one of the four devices before gaining entry into the hotel and its secured area where the President would be. Three men staffed each station. One ran the conveyor belt where purses would be scanned, another would walk the guest through the magnitometer, and the third guard would manually inspect the purses and look through them.

Matt sat down at the scanner for the conveyor belt, while Brandon set out plastic bins for the guests to put jewelry and small metal objects into before he escorted them through the magnitometer. A third agent joined them. He stood at the end of the conveyor belt at a small table where he would perform the hand inspections. This was quite possibly the young man’s first time pulling security for the President. He was nervous, and Raymond could sense it. Of course, the perspiration from the man showed as a dead giveaway to Raymond’s strong vampire sense of smell.