Read Radiance (Brotherhood of the Blade Trilogy #3) Online
Authors: Eve Paludan
Vampire or not.
Chapter Nineteen
As a native Southern Californian, I knew that during the day, Griffith Park was a lush open space of trees, flowers, hiking paths and recreation, including the restored red and white carousel that had been in many films, including
Twins
and ironically,
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
. In contrast to its carefree daytime appeal, Griffith Park at night was a sketchy place and the scene of more than a few murders and dumped bodies or body parts. How dangerous Griffith Park would be tonight, and how many vampires we would flush out from the carousel nest, remained to be seen.
We left the Hilton on Glenoaks with me driving the van. Ambra was riding shotgun and had a clipboard with maps. Her smartphone navigation app gave driving directions in French, which bugged me.
“Okay, everyone,” I said, “the inbound gates officially close at 10 p.m., and the outbound at 10:30 p.m. We sure don’t want to be leaving in the middle of a vampire hunt when the park closes and security drives around looking for cars that are still there. So, we’re going in on foot.”
“
Where do we park?” Joan asked.
“
You’ll see. It’s a little bit of a hike, but we are going to use…” I looked at Ambra and deferred to her.
Ambra said, “We are going to use some of the intel from Samantha Moon and approach the carousel area in a discreet way, from a fire road that is behind it.”
“She did quite a lot of legwork for us,” I said. “She sent us photos of the area and an old utility building that may be the lair of Nero. There is a chance that Kristin may even be there tonight.”
Ambra looked at me. “Do you want the kill shot on Nero?”
I shook my head. “He’s probably going to come straight for me, but if anyone else has a chance to take down Nero before I do, go for it. This is an equal opportunity vampire hunt. And let the best Sister or Brother put another notch in their belt.”
“
Nero should count as two or more,” Joan said. “He’s an ancient one.”
Everyone concurred.
“From what Samantha tells us, there are quite a few vampires in Griffith Park,” Ambra said.
“
So, expect large numbers of them?” Nariko asked.
“
Yes,” I said. I looked at Ambra. It was hard to get used to her being in charge of a mission.
She continued, “Nero is going to have his henchmen or lieutenants, whatever he calls them, and he will likely have bodyguards on Kristin, too, if she’s there. So, even if we see where she is, approach her with caution because I have a feeling she will be heavily guarded.”
“Agreed,” I said.
I ran the air conditioner full blast in the van. Corbin, in the far back, was only about a half hour from turning into the werewolf and he was sweating bullets—the inside of the van was starting to smell like a wet dog, but no one said anything. I was just glad the werewolf was on our side. We needed him in this fight.
I heard a smartphone say something in French.
“
What did that say?” I asked Ambra.
“
I will just tell you the route. Take a right on Glendale, take a right on Valleybrink and take a left on Sunnynook. Go toward the Los Angeles River and find a parking spot.”
“
Thanks.”
She gave good directions. I pulled into a parking spot in the mixed apartment-type neighborhood and shut off the engine.
“Aren’t we on the wrong side of the river?” Griff asked.
“
We have a pedestrian walkway across the Los Angeles River and across the Golden State Freeway. That pedestrian walkway over there”—I pointed at it—“dumps us off near the tennis courts and soccer field. From there, we hoof it in the trees and leafy cover up trails that parallel Crystal Springs Drive and we’ll walk almost two miles to the carousel area.”
Ambra said, “When we get near the intersection of Crystal Springs Drive and the Fire Road, there is a park ranger station there and we need to stay out of sight. I don’t want any rangers to see us.
Comprenez-vous?
”
Everyone said yes or otherwise grunted their assent.
“Corbin, I don’t have a leash for you, so keep your big wolf body on the down low and don’t approach any people, okay? You are freaking huge and they would scream.”
Corbin wagged his tail low and panted. He was doing a good job of communicating with the tools he had.
Ambra and I led the way across the pedestrian bridge, which was quite a find by Samantha Moon for car-free access into Griffith Park. Two by two, we occasionally parted for die-hard joggers who were braving the coming night, too. Eventually, those types of ordinary evening people gave way to the less-polite people of the night.
As we walked at a steady pace, and the night grew darker, we heard the screams of random drunk people. Occasionally, we encountered small groups of hookers, heroin addicts and the homeless. I could see exactly why vampires had chosen the vast territory of Griffith Park for their digs. It was a veritable smorgasbord. The pickings were many, most of them were easy, and sadly, the victims would be among the least likely to be identified by the coroner, let alone missed by anyone in their families who gave a damn.
I pushed down the long-ago images of my vampire hunter brother, Rudolph, dying in my arms in this very park. In fact, we might even get close to the same area. I shook off the old ghosts.
Kristin had to be here. This was where the vampires swore their blood oaths, with other people’s blood, of course, and joined ranks to form a mafia of sorts. This was where they bullied humans and established turf and feeding rights and who knew what else. And most of all, this is where Delilah herself had given the biggest clue about the location of the “carousel nest.” Samantha Moon had done plenty of surveillance here and apparently, had had a run-in or two with other vampires in this park.
Ambra must have been picking up on my vibes. She said quietly, “This is not the time or the place to let grief and worry trigger itself. This is about finding and rescuing Kristin.”
“
And killing Nero,” I added.
“
Stay focused. We’re almost there,” Ambra said as her watch alarm went off. “Hold up everyone. Corbin needs a moment. Give him room.”
The coming glow of the full moon began to increase behind the mountains.
Corbin dashed behind a bush and flung his clothes at Ambra, who stuffed them in her backpack. There was the sound of brush crackling and human moans and then, when the moon peeked over the mountain, we heard canine whimpers and yips.
Corbin, a huge red and silver werewolf, came bounding out of the bushes and dashed past us, his tail high and his ears alert and swiveling. Suddenly, he stopped on the trail and looked up at the moon. I saw his nostrils flaring and realized he was catching scents.
Then he ran again. He whined while running through the trees and then waited for us to catch up. With his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth and his teeth gleaming in the gloaming as clouds passed over the full moon, he sailed over logs that we climbed over. He crashed through bushes and clambered up rocks and splashed through mud.
Each time he stopped, he waited for us to catch up, and then he ran again. He put his nose to the ground and sniffed something.
Suddenly, Corbin the werewolf left the path that ran along next to Crystal Springs Drive and he headed down a hill and ended up on a hiking trail.
“
What the hell is he doing?” Ambra said. “We’re not supposed to go that way.”
He looked up and us and yipped, just like freaking Lassie. Well, it would have if Lassie was a giant wolf with a lolling tongue and a mouthful of teeth that looked like they should belong to a prehistoric dire wolf.
“We should follow him,” I said. “He smells something.” Everyone else agreed. Everyone but Ambra.
“
How do we know what he smells? It could be spoiled hot dogs in a garbage can!” Ambra complained.
“
Until you can smell vampires from several miles away, get over yourself, Ambra,” Jade snapped and shouldered past her to climb down the hill. When she got to the Mineral Springs trail, she broke into a jog to follow Corbin.
An angry squeal came out of Ambra as she saw Jade leading the vampire hunters. I thought for a moment that there was going to be a girl fight—with hair pulling and shirts ripping open—but there wasn’t.
I breathed a sigh of relief as Ambra slid down the embankment and everyone else followed. Ambra let Jade take the lead after Corbin—she didn’t speak at all for long minutes and I knew she was regaining her composure. Griff and all the rest of them were ahead of us now. Ambra and I brought up the rear as I began to realize what was going on.
“
Not only does Corbin smell something, he knows something,” I said quietly. “He’s extremely sentient.”
Our mouths open in wonder, we watched Corbin pacing in front of an impressive pack rat’s nest piled up on the ground. The nest was filled with garbage and odd items, among them a vintage Fisher-Price Change-a-Tune
carousel toy. I knew what it was because my daughter once had one just like it. I recalled that it played different plastic records as the child turned a crank. I had bought hers on eBay when she was a baby. Even though it was a baby toy, she had loved it all her life and would never let Megan throw it away or even put it away. At times, she had even slept with it.
The wheels in my brain finally started moving and I was getting excited. Breathing hard, I walked slowly toward the pack rat’s nest and pointed. “It’s the
carousel nest
.”
“
I don’t understand,” Ambra said. “I thought we were looking for a building near the carousel, the big merry-go-round ride.”
“
Maybe I am way off-base,” I said. “Or maybe this is just wishful thinking on my part but...before I killed her, Delilah told me, ‘When he saw your brother all alone, Nero came up from what we now call the carousel nest. He told Vlad and me to—”
I stopped talking and I reached for the toy in the pack rat’s nest. I disengaged it from all the garbage and I cranked the handle. The plastic record suddenly started playing the tinkling song that I recognized. I closed my eyes and sang along to the notes, “Go in and out the windows, as we have done before.” I opened my eyes wide, the wheels in my brain turning faster. I wasn’t as smart as my genius daughter, Kristin, but this
meant
something!
“
Rand, you’re losing it,” Ambra said. “Singing nursery songs? You probably shouldn’t even be on this mission.”
“
No, I’m not losing it!” I turned the toy upside down in the moonlight and saw what I never expected to see again:
Kristin Joy
was written on the bottom of the toy in her childish scrawl.
“
It’s hers! She must have saved it from the fire,” I said, goose bumps rising my flesh all over my body and sending the electricity of realization down my spine. “Look! She was here! My daughter is really smart. She put this here for a clue. And I’m too…dumb to figure it out.” My voice was cracking with emotion.
“
Think everyone!” Nariko said.
Everyone looked at each other, dumbstruck.
Suddenly, I started tearing up the pack rat’s nest. “Help me!” I yelled. “Help me!”
Corbin’s mane rose in aggression and he pawed at the pack rat’s nest and growled. His growl suddenly turned into a snarl.
“What are we looking for?” Nariko asked and started helping me.
“
Windows!
Like in the song! Kristin could have chosen any song record of the ones that go with the toy, but she put
that
one on. And she left it for us to find!”
Now everyone was helping to destroy the pack rat’s nest that covered—shockingly—a window that was buried in the ground.
“Vampire bunker!” Mikhail yelled.
Corbin the werewolf snarled louder and crashed down through the glass, disappearing into the maw of the darkness below.
Within two seconds, his snarls and snapping teeth were joined by horrified shrieks—vampire shrieks that sounded like the screeches of barn owls. The unholy sounds burst from this dark hole in the ground as our braveheart werewolf attacked a lair of vampires. All by himself.
“
Weapons!” Ambra screamed. “Now!”
Everyone got something sharp and silver in their hands and not a moment too soon:
Vampires burst out of the broken window in the ground and it was like bats exploding out of a cave.
Down below, Corbin was ripping the vampires a new one. The ones who were bloodied and desperate climbed a ladder out of the hole and ran right into our blades. They were so unprepared that within seconds, every single one of us got a kill. We were all screaming and blades and scythes were flashing in the moonlight.
“Get them!” Ambra yelled.
The vampires tried to fight back but this group wasn’t wearing Kevlar or body armor, and our well-trained fencing and fighting techniques annihilated them in short order. Their dank, earthy-smelling corpses lay scattered on the moonlit ground, covered in blood. We all caught our breath.