Vampire in Chaos (31 page)

Cody nodded. “We’re fine.” He hesitated then added, “Shouldn’t you and Goran be exchanging places?”

“Yeah, we should,” Serus admitted, “But your dad is stubborn. He won’t want to be stuck on the roof now that it is secure if all the action is below.”

At his words, Cody grimaced. “I hear you, but not sure it’s secure given the equipment the people seem to have available and given the narrow staircases, I don’t trust the assholes not to find a way to get onto a floor and come in from behind to get Dad.”

Serus stopped. “Is that idle thinking, or do you know some way for the men to get onto the floors that we don’t?”

“Not really.” Cody shrugged. “But do we know that every elevator and every staircase is closed off?”

Serus nodded. “Yes, they are.”

“Okay, then…” But Cody didn’t appear convinced.

Crack. The huge sound was followed by the crash and tinkle of broken glass. A window?

Serus stared at Cody, Cody stared back, both minds twisting and churning with this newest event.

“If they have fliers…”

“And they know the layout and can crash through the windows in the stairwells where your father is…”

And like that, Serus bolted down the hallway, calling out. “The worst would be if there was gas bombs dropped on the men. There’d be no one left to save.” He reached the stairwell and pulled the door open wide.

It was empty. Below, he thought he smelled something but couldn’t be sure. He raced down to the next floor and again found the landing empty. He looked in on the floor, but other than a few vamps lounging around and trying to recover, there was no sign of any distress. Had Goran already gone down a floor?

Damn right we did. Also caught the flier who thought he could bring up some friends and toss them through the window. Luckily we saw them just as they hit the windows so we were on them before they’d regained their feet. They’re gone now.

But none of your guys were hurt?
Serus asked.

No. Now we have guards stationed at both ends on the lookout for another flight display if they decide to try it again.

I’m coming down to your floor.

I thought you were going to the roof level
? Goran asked.
I
guess you figure this is where the action is going to be.

Yeah, it’s always around you, Goran. Whatever happened to that damn peaceful life we wanted?

Ha. No retirement for us. Hurry up and get here. Looks like we have a few good skirmishes coming up.

Serus perked up.
So I haven’t missed all the fun.

Nope, not yet, but if you’re not here in less than one minute, you will—

And Goran’s voice went dead.

As his voice went quiet, Rhia’s voice slipped through his mind,
Serus? Is that you?

*

Jared ran up
to Taz. “Sorry, I actually don’t know your formal name. Tessa only ever referred to you as Taz.”

Taz’s lean, chiseled features split into a wide grin. “Hey, Jared.” He studied him closely. “You look like you’re doing pretty well.”

“I am. At least physically.”

Taz’s gaze sharpened. “You’re in trouble?”

“I don’t know.” He kicked at an imaginary rock on the floor. “Yeah, I guess.” And his story poured out – from the dead men he found in the home, to his aunt and uncle, then the kid being carried out of the home.

Taz let him talk until he ran down. He took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. “Well. I guess that’s a lot of trouble.”

“Yeah, I’m going to have to go into foster care if I can’t find some reputable place to stay for a few months.” He threw up his hands. “And then there is the problem with the deeds to my aunt’s house and my inheritance.”

“Whew,” Taz said. “You need a lawyer for that.”

“Ha. I need an honest lawyer,” Jared said. “Do they exist?”

Taz laughed. “They do. They do. But we have to make sure we also find one not connected to the blood farm mess. You’ve been sold once; I’d like to keep you off those meat hooks.”

Jared groaned. “Me too.”

He glanced behind him at Clarissa at the front desk. She appeared to be arguing with the receptionist. “I think the immediate problem is Tobias, who was taken out of the home last night. He was carried over the guy’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. No stretcher.”

“You’re sure about what you saw?”

“Yes,” Jared answered. “I also climbed into the ambulance and checked to make sure the kid was still alive.”

He nodded at Taz’s sharp glance. “Yes, there was a pulse. But the guys were arguing, so I slipped out the other side and hid in the bushes.”

“You and Tessa. You’re both trouble magnets.”

Clarissa walked over. “Jared, are you sure about what you saw? They said they have no record of Tobias arriving here.”

Jared nodded, his features grim. “I know what I saw.” He turned to Taz. “I have the license plate number. Is it possible to track those? I did send the information asking if Sian could help, but I haven’t heard back.”

“She’s swamped.” Taz nodded toward a series of small rooms up ahead. “Let’s go to my office. I’ll call someone and have them check the numbers.”

He led the way to the back of the ER and into a small office. There he gave Jared a small notepad and a pencil. “Write the number down.”

He quickly jotted the sequence down and handed the paper over to the doctor. “That’s what I remember.” He watched as Taz dialed the number. Clarissa slipped her hand into his. He squeezed her fingers reassuringly, giving her a big smile. “Taz is one of the good guys. He’ll do what he can.”

And what he was doing was talking to someone involved with the ambulance service. He waited while Taz read off the numbers. He pulled his own phone out and winced at the time, realized he was missing his Calculus class, and checked for messages. They were a couple. David had texted. Said he was back at Council Hall with Jewel and Ian and Wendy. How was he doing? Tessa had told him about the bodies, and he wanted to know if any more had shown up. Jared snorted at that. And started the long text explanation similar to the one he’d given to Taz. He ended up giving him the license plate of the ambulance as well. At this point, he figured everyone must have it being he already sent the information to Sian.

It took time. But then, Taz was busy doing his calls and hadn’t looked his way. So he continued to work his own phone. When he glanced over at Clarissa, it was to see her texting her friends as well.

He laughed. “Look at us. What would we do without our technology?”

“I’d die,” she said with a tiny smile. “No one so far knows what happened to Tobias. No one heard from him last night after we left. As far as they know, he was sleeping well and was still supposed to be there this morning.”

“And he should, but I know he’s not.”

“Which means we’re back to thinking he might have been returned without anyone else knowing?” She groaned. “If that’s the case, why take him in the first place?”

Jared couldn’t even begin to think.

Taz got off the phone and turned to face Jared. “I don’t know what’s going on. That license plate is valid, but it’s not for an ambulance in their fleet.”

“So then…” Jared hated not getting answers. There should be answers. There wasn’t going to be one in this case. And that was really starting to piss him off.

“So then what?” Clarissa asked.

Jared wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her close. He hated the sheen of wetness in her eyes. He didn’t know how close she and Tobias were, but it was obvious that she cared about him. He could understand that. “I don’t know. We’ll have to figure it out.”

Inside, he was afraid he already knew.

He glanced over at Taz. “He’s been taken somewhere private, hasn’t he?”

Clarissa looked up in question. “Where? A private hospital? He has no money and has always lived with his grandparents. They have no money for private care either.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Taz ran a tired hand down over his face. “I haven’t spoken with Sian yet this morning, I’ll check with her and see if she’s found any reference to the boy.”

“I’m wondering if you have a connection to find out what ambulances are doing the vampire hospital runs,” Jared asked.

And watched as dismay filled Taz’s eyes. “Oh, please no. Not again.”

“I’m afraid so.”

T
essa woke as
if from a long deep sleep. She felt like she’d had eight solid hours of sleep. She stretched and would have rolled over but realized there was a large warm body stopping her. Cody.

She pushed herself up on one arm and said, “Hey.”

He twisted, studied her face carefully and as if liking what he saw, responded, “Hey back.”

She smiled and leaned back down on the bed. It wasn’t much in the way of comfort, but she’d been so needing a chance to rest it had felt like a bed for a queen.

“How are you feeling?”

“Terrific,” she murmured. “I really needed that.”

There were no aches and pains, nothing but a sense of relief. She swung her legs over the side and sat up. “Now food would be helpful.”

Cody smiled. “You and your food.”

“It’s not like you go days without needing sustenance.” She grinned. “Do you want yours from here?”

“My dad brought back a bag of supplies from Council Hall for us.” He motioned to the bag on the ground beside her. With a long look at him, she reached over and rummaged through the bag.

“Blood, blood, and more blood. Great.” At least it didn’t revolt her as much as it would have a few days ago. She understood the need to eat for her strength.

“Check the outside pockets,” Cody said.

She opened one of the flaps and laughed. Tucked inside were a half dozen granola bars.

She snatched up the closest one, ripped it open, and took a big bite. “Your dad is a good man.”

“Yeah, only he’s gone down with a team to overtake the eighth floor.”

She stopped, looked at him, and then at the granola bar. “So this is to keep my strength up in case I’m needed again?”

“Something like that.”

He laughed as she shrugged and demolished the rest of the bar while reaching for a second one. “Then so be it. I might as well make sure I don’t get hungry anytime soon.”

He shook his head, watching as she polished the second bar off too. Then she hopped to her feet. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“Ready for what?”

She turned to look back at him. “To go help. Surely we’re not going to stay here safe and sound while our fathers are out there fighting – are we?”

He shook his head.

“Well, I didn’t think so.” She gave him a cheeky grin. “Good. Then let’s go.”

By the time they reached the eighth floor, the action was all over. The men were in the process of going from room to room and checking on the vampires inside. Tessa stood in the first doorway and surveyed the energy of the occupants. They were all going to be fine.

She moved through the floor checking, helping, healing, and releasing the occupants of a dozen more rooms.

She met up with her father at the other end of the hallway. “Hey, this system worked well.”

He nodded. “They’ve already gone down to take over the seventh floor.”

“Good, let’s go.”

She followed her father down the stairwell when her father stopped. He turned to look at Tessa. Then he frowned and averted his gaze, but he held his hand out to stop her from entering the floor.

“What is it?” Her heart sank.

“Goran says Deanna is here.”

“What? Oh no. That means she was caught again.” Tessa pulled the door open and ran inside. “Where is she?”

“Tessa, wait!”

But she’d already entered the first room, her father and Cody hard on her heels. Sure enough, there was Deanna, Hortran beside her. She rushed to the old woman’s side. The tubes had been removed and were hanging drunkenly off the side of a big wall–mounted dispenser. Tessa eyed it balefully. The damn drugs again. These assholes had a lot to answer for.

She sat down at Deanna’s bedside. “How is she?”

“She’s gone,” Hortran whispered, his voice hollow. Fading.

“Why didn’t she call out to me?” Tessa asked, afraid that she’d missed hearing Deanna call her because she’d been sleeping, then remembered Deanna’s call could wake anyone from Hell.