I caught Aerona’s eyes giving Rain a detailed scan from head to toe. I secretly hoped she didn’t have a thing for Rain. Aerona had had enough trouble with her other Shadow Vampire boyfriends to last a lifetime. Although, I was in no position to offer advice to anyone else. I was falling head over heels for a human FBI agent who had the cutest Midwestern accent of all time.
Aerona, Kasiah, and Ember had all changed for a night of mingling at the local clubs to search for Jade. They would all blend in nicely without drawing too much attention. To my surprise, Aerona had changed in her usual witty shirts for a low-cut white, casual button-up shirt. She wore our mother’s necklace, which I hadn’t seen her wear in years. The necklace was much more than a simple chain and pendant. It expanded into an intricate, almost vine-like woven pattern of white Shadow gold. The center stone was a large amethyst, believed to attract love and calm fears. I wondered which of the two feelings inspired Aerona to wear the necklace tonight.
“You three look ready for a night of clubbing,” I commented.
Kasiah smiled her beautiful smile. “Don’t mind us,” she said, “we’re just three innocent girls out for a night of fun after a hard workday.”
“This weather may play to our advantage,” Morgan said, buckling his shoulder holster. “The storm will most likely keep everyone inside. Anyone you see out tonight may have the same objective as us, so be aware of your surroundings.”
Whisper reached into his satchel and pulled out a small, high-tech looking aluminum case the size of a small book. It made a slight suction sound as he opened the lid, as if it was held closed by vacuum pressure. Inside, there were two rows of small, glass-like pieces on a black velvet liner. They resembled the shape of kidney beans.
Whisper walked around the room and handed one of the glass beans to each of us.
“These are state of the art communication devices,” he said, placing one in my hand. “I’ve been developing them for the U.S. military. They’re code named ECHO.”
I turned the tiny earpiece over in my hand, studying it carefully. From a distance, it appeared to have a glossy finish; up close, it was soft with a strange rubbery texture. There was something embedded in the center—an electronic device.
“Echo?” I asked.
“It’s an acronym,” Whisper explained. “Electronically Controlled Hearing Organism. ECHO.”
“Organism?” Aerona asked, confused.
“Yes, organism,” he repeated. “Due to its top secret clearance, and somewhat confusing science, I can’t tell you everything about ECHO, but the short version involves a classified microchip placed into a mold. Then we introduce several clusters of a newly developed microorganism that multiplies at an incredible rate around the chip, eventually filling the shape of the mold. It takes about two minutes for the organism to fill the mold and crystallize. After that, it’s basically in a state of hibernation, which is what you see now.
I like to think I had kept up with modern technology. Apparently I had not.
“The microorganism serves two purposes,” Whisper continued. “The first is a cloaking device, which makes the unit invisible. Once it’s inserted in your ear, it activates and automatically adjusts its shape to fit the contour of your ear, but don’t worry, it won’t increase in size. The exterior of the microorganisms reflect light in a way that makes the unit invisible to the naked eye. The second purpose of the microorganism is power supply. The microorganisms emit short electrical pulses that supply power to the microchip, which is the brain of the unit. The microchip receives signals from other units, then decodes them into audible sounds for the user. In reverse, it codes your voice before sending the signal out to other users on the same network.”
Aerona held the earpiece in her hand carefully, as though it was a deadly spider. “I’m not putting this thing in my ear!” she exclaimed.
Whisper laughed at how Aerona was holding the earpiece. “Sarah,” he continued, “Trust me, ECHO has been through extensive testing. It’s a hundred percent safe. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not putting this bug in my ear,” she repeated sternly. “And I guess the Sarah game is over. My name is Aerona.”
“ECHO’s not a bug, Aerona,” Whisper added defensively. “It’s a complex piece of technology that is going to give us the advantage of hearing each other as if we were in the same room, even when we’re miles apart.”
I gave Aerona my best I’m going to kick your ass if you don’t shut up look. “She’ll be fine.” I said. “What’s their range?”
Whisper appreciated my interest in his creation. “The signal bounces off any one of multiple military satellites. The range is anywhere in the world. Oh, and don’t worry, the signal is coded as random noise, so if anyone monitors the satellite, they won’t know we’re hitching a ride. To activate ECHO, gently press it into whichever ear you feel comfortable. They’re soft and will form to your ear in just a few seconds. The unit’s volume adjusts based on the ambient noise, which means you never have to worry about adjusting it yourself. The microphones are very sensitive, so there’s no need to raise your voice when you talk. They’ll pick up the slightest whisper, no pun intended.”
The rest of us, except for Aerona, inserted our ECHO devices. It immediately began reshaping itself to fit my ear, an odd sensation that lasted only a few seconds. After the transformation was complete, I could barely tell ECHO was even there.
“I don’t hear anything,” Morgan said.
“That’s normal,” Whisper explained. “The units are receiving data as we talk to each other, but they know we’re within hearing distance for the current levels.” He lowered his voice. “If I talk like this, you should be able to hear it, because the unit now knows we’re in a hushed state, and it will transmit the sound.”
I could hear Whisper’s hushed voice clearly in my ear.
“Can we turn them off?” I asked.
Whisper put on a thin, black leather jacket, leaving the Batman symbol exposed through the front. “Yes,” he said, “and we’ll actually turn them off until they’re needed. That way, you don’t have six voices running around in your head all night. ECHO recognizes voice commands from the user, and it’s already imprinted your unique voices. Simply say, ‘ECHO off.’”
“ECHO off,” I said, sounding like I was ordering a dog off the sofa. The unit beeped once in my ear and switched off.
“What’s the point of having these earpieces if they’re all turned off?” Kasiah asked.
“ECHO is on a network,” he added. “Say ‘ECHO 911’ to activate the other units on your team’s network.”
“ECHO on,” Morgan said, turning his unit back on. “Kasiah, these are perfect for our tactical teams. We need to invest in a few dozen when we get back.”
“ECHO off,” said Kasiah. “I’m not so sure these are in our price range. What do they cost, Whisper?”
“They’re a steal. Just under fifteen thousand a pair.”
“Well,” Morgan considered, loading a full magazine into his 9mm, “scratch that off my Christmas list.”
“ECHO off,” Aerona said.
We all looked at Aerona, surprised she gave it a chance.
“What?” she asked. “The peer pressure got to me. It’s not so bad. It better not try to eat my brain or something.”
I laughed. “Well, if its main source of nutrition is brains, then the poor thing is going to go hungry.”
Aerona gave me one of her angry, death stares she had perfected over the years.
I ignored her and looked at my watch. “It’s almost midnight,” I continued. “We should still be able to move around the city unnoticed until the bars close. After that, we’ll want to either be in a stakeout position or back here at the hotel.”
Our plan hadn’t changed; Rain and I would take one SUV to locate Jade’s residence and check for signs of her or Atmoro. Meanwhile, Kasiah, Ember, and Aerona would catch a cab downtown to mingle at the local nightclubs to see if Jade was out for
the night. Morgan and Whisper would take the other SUV to monitor the perimeter of the city.
Morgan grabbed his jacket off the desk. “Does anyone have any other questions?” he asked.
“Just remember,” Ember added. “We all have special areas of expertise and skills, but we know practically nothing about stones or their powers. Keep in mind that Jade is the child of two powerful angels. She may or may not know her capabilities, but we need to approach her as if she knows everything.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
Jess woke up to excruciating pain in her left arm. She tried to lift it, but even the slightest movement shocked her with intense pain. She was in complete darkness. It took several seconds for her pupils to widen and adjust. The sound of raindrops hitting a pane of glass drew her eyes to the dark outline of a draped window. She was in what appeared to be a small, empty room. It felt cold and damp, and it smelled like an old, forgotten farmhouse. She tried not to think of the spiders hanging from the ceiling or crawling up her leg.
Jess’s mind was clouded and dizzy. Where am I? she thought. What happened? She attempted to move her right arm but it didn’t budge—it was stuck. She yanked harder, releasing a dose of adrenaline into her bloodstream. The realization of being trapped took hold of her. She tried to move her legs, but they too were trapped. She tried to scream for help, but her mouth wouldn’t open either. She focused on a thick silver line around her wrists, and that’s when reality punched her in the stomach—she was duct-taped to a chair.
Memories engulfed in dizziness flooded Jess’s confused mind. She recalled a knock at her door and a cable repair man. The images jumped through time, too fast to catch more than bits and pieces. The next image Jess could recall clearly was a cable repair man’s head crashing into the windshield of her SUV as Jess drove through her lawn. The final two memories were of a van on collision course with her driver’s side door and a dead police officer falling to the ground as Jess hung upside down from her seatbelt.
Panic squeezed the air out of Jess’s chest. Her eyes opened wide as the flood of memories raced through her mind. Being unable to move her limbs or open her mouth terrified her. She struggled to gain control of her breathing.
A bolt of lightning flashed outside the window, momentarily filling the damp dark room with white bright light. The room in front of her was bare, except for an empty chair in one corner opposite the door. As light filled the room, Jess quickly looked down and inspected her wrists. The duct tape held her firmly to an old wooden chair. Her hands and arms were filthy. Her jeans, just as dirty as her arms, were ripped in numerous places. Several streaks of dried blood stained the front of her white shirt. She turned her head from side to side, desperately trying to see what was behind her.
A loud boom of thunder rattled the window. Her mind began working on the complex problem of first getting out of the chair, then out of the room, although she had no idea what was on the other side of the door.
Suddenly, a man’s voice echoed behind Jess, causing her heart to jump and her muscles to spasm.
“You’re stronger than I first thought,” the man said.
She recognized the man’s voice. It was Steve, the cable guy, who was forever embedded deep in her brain.
“Before we begin,” he continued, “I think maybe it’s time for proper introductions. My name is Jake.”
Jess froze in her place as Jake stepped in front of her. She stopped struggling with the tape on her wrists and ankles, knowing she would need the energy later. Her eyes followed Jake’s outline as he moved in the dark.
Jake sat in the empty chair across the room. “I’m going to make this short and sweet,” he added. “You have been researching a topic that has sparked my interest—the blood of a stone.”
Jake waited for Jess’s reaction to his allegation. She didn’t react. She was terrified.
“This is a very simple game,” he continued. “You answer my questions, and your pain goes away. The alternative is if you don’t answer, then I’ll give you more pain than one human body can withstand over an entire lifetime.”
Another bolt of lightning lit the room, allowing Jess to see Jake for no more than a second. It was long enough. He looked like an average, everyday man. He was younger than she could remember from his Steve-the-cable-guy masquerade, maybe only a year or two out of college. His face was calm and in control. His eyes seemed kind as he stared at Jess from across the room. Jake was dressed like an average twenties guy: casual khaki pants and a dark, untucked button-up shirt. At first glance, Jess never would have guessed this man to be a killer, which is exactly what is said about most serial killers.
“We’ll start with a few yes or no questions,” he said. “Do you work for a vampire named Atmoro?”
Jess shook her head, trying not to look terrified by the name of the same vampire Aeron had warned her about. She wondered if Jake was a vampire himself, already knowing the answer to the question, considering Jake was standing after being run over by an SUV and shot by a cop.
“Question two,” Jake continued. “Have you found what you were looking for?”
Again, Jess shook her head no. She never thought she’d be in a situation where she’d face being tortured for information. She wondered how much pain she could handle before Jade’s name would escaped from her lips. Jess pushed the name far back in her mind, trying to lose it.
“Is the information you seek for yourself or someone else?”
Jess looked confused. She couldn’t answer that question by shaking her head.
“Let me rephrase that,” Jake added. “Do you work for someone else?”
Jess nodded slowly. A tear rolled down her cheek. She closed her eyes and forced herself to gain control. She had to remain focused to get through this nightmare. There’s a solution to every problem, even when one wakes up to find themselves taped to a chair while being interrogated by a thirsty vampire.
Another flash of light filled the room, much brighter than last. Jess’s pupils closed to compensate for the burst of intense light, temporarily blinding her. The room went dark, and her pupils switched gears from tiny to wide-open. The window pane shook from the clap of thunder that followed the lightning. When Jess’s eyes finally focused back, she found the chair across the room was empty—Jake was gone.
“Boo!” Jake shouted, now right next to Jess’s ear.
His laughter was chilling. A surge of fear ran through Jess’s body. Her left arm tensed up, sending pain shooting up her shoulder.
Jake reached his hand out toward Jess’s face.
She closed her eyes, holding her breath.
“I’m going to remove the tape from your mouth,” Jake said. “This isn’t a movie, so I’m not going to tell you not to scream. Actually, feel free to scream. No one will hear you.”
Jake grabbed the end of the tape and yanked it from her face.
“SERIOUSLY!” Jess cried out. Her sarcasm filter wasn’t something she could manage at a time like that. “Your bedside manner could use some work! That hurt, psycho!”
Jake taped back over her mouth. “Rule number one,” he said calmly, “I’m in charge. Rule number two… I’M IN FUCKING CHARGE!”
The room was so dark that Jess never even saw Jake’s hand hurtling through the air until it collided with her cheek. Her head snapped back from the impact.
Jake was losing his patience, and he was running out of time. He desperately needed to get this girl talking, so he could get ahead of Atmoro in his little game of cat and mouse. He ripped the tape from her mouth a second time. “Now let’s try this again” he suggested, “preferably without your sarcasm.”
The throbbing in Jess’s left arm intensified as she tensed her muscles to cope with the pain from the tape ripping across her lips. She could taste blood from Jake’s powerful slap to the face.
“Now, where were we?” he continued calmly, as though reading a bedtime story. “Oh yes, the blood of a stone.” He placed his hands on the arms of the chair, looking her straigh
t in the eyes and inches from her nose. “You need to spill your guts before I spill them for you.”
Jess forced herself to calm down. She put her head back, took a deep breath, and exhaled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said in a weak voice.
Jake slapped her again, even harder this time. “LIAR!” he roared. “Fine! Let’s do this the hard way! You want to play the little redheaded hero, then I’ll play the evil psychotic villain!”
Jess thought that sounded about right.
Jake leaned in close. “Do you know why it takes law enforcement so long to get information from a suspect?” he asked. “It’s because they have rules of interrogation. They have proper protocols to follow, so the evidence obtained during the interrogation can be admissible in court. It’s unfortunate for you that I don’t abide by that same set of rules and guidelines.”
In one swift move, Jake pulled a switchblade from his pocket, flipped it open, and plunged the knife through Jess’s left hand—pinning her to the arm of the chair.
A deafening scream erupted from her lungs. The pain of the knife through her hand competed for worst pain ever with the pain of her broken arm. She tried not to look at the knife sticking out the back of her hand, but she failed. A dark stream of blood instantly formed around the blade, pouring down to the floor.
Jess couldn’t see Jake’s eyes in the darkness as they changed color from a soft blue to a dark brown, though she did notice his breathing increased. Jess looked back at her hand, at the blood that was about to make Jake lose his mind.
Jake fought to gain control of his thirst; he knew blood was among his only weaknesses. He shut off his sense of smell and turned his eyes away from the blood to Jess’s frightened face.
“Let’s try this again. Did you… Jessica… find what you… Jessica…. were looking for?”
“Go… to… hell,” Jess said through clinched teeth in the same tone that Jake asked the question.
Jake was amazed at how much fight the little redhead had in her. He knew he couldn’t kill her until he got what he needed, but it was taking every ounce of self-control he had not to break her tiny neck to satisfy his thirst. Jake decided to try a different strategy, switching roles to good cop. He retreated to the opposite side of the room, away from the blood, away from the temptation. “Look,” he said in the best good cop voice he could manage, “I just want to know where I can find the stone. Tell me where it is, and you’ll be out of here in time to catch the eleven o’clock news.”
The Blood of a Stone Page 20