The Red Haze (The Webber and Ko Series Book 1)

by D. M. Wicks

"You wanted to ask me about Jeramy? I take it that means he didn't make it. Honestly, I was expecting the police to come here not some private agency."

  Declan made his presence known. "The fire made that difficult. They ended up passing off some of the cases to other agencies. We just happened to get your boyfriend’s."

  She turned a shade paler and swayed a little. I caught her by her arm. "Hey, are you okay? Why don't you sit down?"

  I guided her to the couch and helped her ease down into it. She placed one hand on her belly and covered her face with the other. Red splotches appeared on her cheeks as she tried to hold back tears.

  I spoke. "I'm sorry for your loss, Kally."

  She nodded, but it took a moment before she said anything. When she did it came out as a gasp. "I knew this was a possibility. We spoke about what could happen before he decided to go through with his plan. I told him we should just leave the city, go out into the country and change our names, but he wanted to do the right thing."

  Declan sat next to her. "What do you mean by ‘the right thing’?"

  Kally moved her hand to look at him. "You must know by now that he was an ex-member of the Crew."

  Declan nodded. "I suspected it, but have yet to find any evidence."

  She laughed at that. "Yes, well that's the problem, isn't it? There's never really any evidence left to find, is there? How did they kill him? Did they shoot him? Did they drown him in a bucket? Tell me."

  I hesitated and Declan answered for me. "They injected him with something. It killed him instantly. There was no pain."

  Air left her in a whoosh as she said, "Oh, thank God. I didn't want him to be in pain if they did it. I wanted it to be fast."

  "It was."

  She nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm pregnant with his child. When I heard you at the door, I was sure it was the Crew coming to finish me off. I didn't know whether to answer it or not."

  I placed my hand on hers. "You did the right thing. We want to help you."

  "Can you? Can you really help someone in my position?"

  "We won't know unless we try," I answered.

  She turned to Declan. "I suspect you'll hand me over to the police and they will put me into their protection service. They will move me someplace different, change my name, and dye my hair. When my child is born they will take him away from me and give him to a safer family because being with me isn't what's best for him."

  Declan didn't avert his eyes and more tears began to fall. "Is there no other way?"

  He grabbed her hand. "I can make you disappear and let you keep your child. Do you want that? You will have to forget about Jeramy. It will be like he never existed, but I think he would want that for you. Do you want me to help you?"

  Kally gripped his hand and nodded. "I do. Please, God, I do."

  Declan stood and walked into the kitchen. "Give me a minute."

  I sat in the seat across from Kally and she wiped her tears away again and turned to me. "He respected your kind, you know."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Jeramy always admired the silent determination of the blue eyes. The way they worked together to achieve a goal and how they found the will to get up every morning and look on the bright side of life. My mother was a blue eyes. The gene never activated in me, but Jeramy and I secretly hoped it would in our baby. I know most mothers fear something like that, but we always saw it as an opportunity for growth."

  I blushed. "Thank you, Kally. That means a lot to me."

  "It's the least I can do."

  "There is one thing I want to ask you though."

  "What is it?"

  "What is the Red Haze?"

  Kally's face darkened and she sighed. "So he did manage to pass it off. Good. He didn't die in vain then."

  "Pass what off?"

  "You heard that name from the USB, right?"

  "No, our friend from the District Six Police Department mentioned it. I think she has the USB, but I personally haven't seen it. What is it?"

  "It's complicated."

  Declan entered the room. "I think we can keep up and we have a few minutes before your ride gets here."

  Kally cleared her throat. "Well, no one really knows what it is. It's some sort of temporary insanity that's been infecting red eyes. It makes them ravenously hungry for a period of time and all of them have reported everything fading into some sort of red haze where they can't remember anything. When they come out of it they've usually killed a blue eyes. It has stumped the Crew. They can't predict when it will happen next and the vampires that it infects have never shown any indication of slipping back into it. They get physicals that all come back with a clean bill of health. There isn't any explanation for it, but the body count keeps going up and the House of Caeruleus is becoming suspicious. They have already started their own investigation. The Crew has managed to keep the important stuff from them, but it's really only a matter of time. Jeramy gave a USB with names of Crew members and all parties involved with the murders to the District Six police, hoping they could shed some light on the issue."

  Declan frowned. "What did he really think the police could do?"

  "He heard of a woman lieutenant who was working on the case and believed she would be able to do something. Jeramy just couldn't live with a secret like that. I guess he wanted to do the right thing for once in his life, just to know that he wasn't a complete failure. That's what he told me every time we fought about it. I guess he is kind of a hero now. A lot of good that did him."

  Declan looked as if he was going to say something, but his phone rang. He answered it. "You're here? Good, we will be down in a minute."

  He turned to Kally. "You can't bring anything with you. You just have to go as you are."

  "Can't I at least take a picture of…"

  "He doesn't exist anymore. You never knew him. If you can't believe that then I can't help you. Do you understand? Kally won't exist anymore. Jeramy won't exist anymore."

  Kally cried a little, but nodded and said, "For my baby I can."

  "Good, come on. We will walk you down there."

  The three of us left the apartment and climbed into the elevator. Declan turned to Kally. "When the elevator opens we are going to run. There is a black sedan waiting at the entrance. Watch your head climbing in. Understood?"

  She nodded and when the elevator door opened the three of us ran, Declan and I on either side of Kally. We ran through the lobby and out through the front entrance. As soon as we left the lobby I felt a sharp pain in my left arm, but kept running. The door to the sedan opened and I pushed her head down and Declan slammed the door. The sedan shot off and merged into the traffic. I turned to Declan to say something, but suddenly felt dizzy. I looked down to where I felt the pain earlier only to see a dark red stain forming on my left sleeve.

  Declan turned to me and caught me when I began to fall. "Oda, what's wrong?"

  "I think… I think I've been shot or something." I cried out in pain as he jostled my arm when we sank to the ground.

  "Jesus Christ, when did that happen?"

  "Ahh!"

  "Hold on, Oda. Can you walk?"

  I yelled in pain as he pulled me to my feet, "No!"

  "Well you're going to anyway because I can't carry your fat ass."

  "Fuck you!"

  "You seem fine to me," he said as he dragged me to the car. The white van was gone so we didn't have to walk around it to reach our car. He opened the door to the back seat and practically threw me in there. "You're an asshole!"

  Declan laughed. "Tell me something I don't know."

  "I can't think of anything else."

  He climbed into the driver’s seat and started up the engine. It growled a couple of times, but didn't catch.

  "Fuck!" Declan tried again to no avail.

  "Okay, Oda. It looks like we are walking."

  "You're crazy!"

  "Just look on the bright side. It's only a block away."

  "Is it really?"


  "More or less," he said as he came back around and dragged me out of the car. He threw my good arm around his shoulder and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Okay, let’s do this."

  We began walking and I cried out with every step as it jostled my arm in one way or another. Declan just kept muttering something, but my head was swimming with pain, making it hard to understand what he was going on about. "What are you saying, man?"

  "I was just talking about how I look forward to seeing all the sexy nurses that will be fawning over how valiant I was to carry you all the way to the hospital. I'm getting that T and A tonight."

  "I find it very … very … funny," I slurred as I tried to grab on to the words I wanted to say.

  "What do you find funny, Oda, the fact that I'm a ladies’ man or the fact that I'm more of a ladies’ man then you are? I'm telling you, women go for the tall guys. Short guys don't even stand a chance. By the way, you're buying me a new suit because this one is ruined."

  "You know … you's talks too … much."

  "I'm just trying to have a conversation with my partner. I guess words are too complicated for your species. I'll try and dumb it down. Me man. Me want T and A."

  "You know Dec … you's pretty."

  Declan cast a worried glance at me, but my head kept lulling from side to side. The world was spinning and the colors of the city were beginning to blur.

  "I know I'm beautiful, but I hate to tell you that you’re not my type, partner. You see, I like tall people with something a little different between their legs."

  "Oh. Okay," I smiled and when my head rolled in his direction I planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek, sound effects and all.

  "Dammit, Oda! What the hell, man?"

  I giggled.

  "Jeez, just hang in there, man. We're almost there." Sounds became muted after that and the next thing I knew I was being jostled causing shooting pains in my arm. I was laid flat on a bed and my clothes were being ripped off of me as a mask was put over my face. Cool air filled my lungs and bright lights blinded me so I closed them. It was better that way, with my eyes closed. That way I could finally get some rest. Just a little because if I slept too long my partner would get pissed off. Just a little. Just a little would do.

  Chapter Eight

  Something was on my neck, was my first conscious thought as I fought through the darkness to reach the light. My body had the heavy, lethargic feeling that came after blood loss. It was something I was well aquatinted with after every donation. The question was why was I feeling that way now?

  I tried opening my eyes, but the light blinded me into closing them again. I could still feel the pressure on my neck. What were those sloppy, slurping sounds?

  My eyes shot open. I tried turning my head only to realize that a hand with red, manicured nails was holding it still. When I tried to lift my arms my left throbbed in pain and I realized it was in a cast, while my right wrist was wrapped in a restraint. The sucking increased, drawing more blood into the leech’s mouth. Panic bubbled up in my throat and I did the thing any blue eyes worth their pints would do; I yelled my fucking head off.

  "Help! Help! Someone help me!"

  There was no pause in the slurping so I continued to yell until someone threw back the curtains. There was a familiar grunt then the slurping stopped as the person was ripped from my neck. I felt the warm wetness of blood running down my neck, but didn't concern myself with that just yet as I turned to see what was happening. Declan had a female red eyed nurse in a headlock and was dragging her kicking-and-screaming into the hallway. He called for assistance and soon two guards came and injected the woman with a pressure syringe making her go limp in Declan's arms. The guards took her, handcuffed her, and carried her away. Another woman nurse followed Declan back into my room.

  "I'm so sorry for Tisha, sir. I don't know what just happened. She is usually so controlled. I know she just fed two days ago. It's required for all our STNAs to have weekly visits to the blood bank, after all."

  Declan held up his hand, as the two of them reached my bed, silencing the woman. Then he pointed to my neck and, in controlled tones, said, "Fix that."

  The woman gasped and nodded running out of the room. Declan walked over and grabbed the chair from in front of the other bed and brought it over to mine. He sat on my right and grinned. "I seem to be your fucking guardian angel today."

  I chucked then groaned as it jostled my injured arm and neck. "Just take this restraint off of me. I'm beginning to chafe."

  Declan glanced down at the Velcro band around my wrist. "I didn't know you were into that sort of thing, Ko. Should I have left you two alone?"

  "Shut up and help a guy out, Declan."

  He shrugged and undid the restraint. When he sat back down the nurse hurried in, carrying something. She pulled up a chair and sat on my right. "Let me see where it hurts, sir."

  I turned my neck to give her better access. "Oh dear, it seems to still be bleeding quite heavily," she said as she began dabbing at the wound. "You should only need four stitches, though. Just to be safe."

  The room was quiet in an awkward way. I got the feeling that my partner was pissed, but at whom I had no clue. He shouldn't be mad at me though. He couldn't seriously blame me for what just happened. Suddenly, Declan stood.

  "Make sure he gets more blood. I'll be back in a minute. I need to pay someone a visit."

  The nurse paused and nodded. "I'll take good care of him. You have no need to worry."

  I swear I heard him mumble something like, “That's what I'm afraid of,” as he walked away, but it may have just been my imagination. The tension in the room lessened, but the awkwardness was still there.

  "So, that woman's name was Tisha?"

  The nurse nodded. "Yes, she is one of the few red eyes we have on the morning shift. So few of them are willing to brave the sun so our night shift is usually filled with them while the morning shift is mostly human."

  "Has she ever given you any problems before?"

  The woman shook her head. "None of this sort. She's a good, hard worker and she's been at this hospital for a year already. I wouldn't have thought her capable of such a thing, honestly. There, you're all done. Just let me put a Band-Aid on it and I'll get you a blood bag."

  "There is no need for the blood bag. I can already feel my energy coming back to me."

  "Are you sure? I think it would be best to be safe rather than sorry."

  "I'm sure. I know my body well. Instead I would like my discharge papers."

  The nurse paused. "I'll have to speak with the doctor and get the go ahead from him."

  "No need, I'm checking myself out."

  "If you do that I can't guarantee that your insurance will cover you stay here."

  "That's fine, I don't have insurance anyway. My boss is a cheap bastard. I can pay out of pocket today though. I just need the paperwork. The sooner the better."

  “You will be leaving against medical advice. Why don’t you just relax in bed and take a load off?”

  "I wouldn't want to keep someone who really needs this bed from having it."

  The nurse frowned, as if to say I was the one that needed the bed, and left the room. It was only then that I allowed the slight wince as I readjusted my left arm and threw my feet over the side of the bed. I glanced around and found a change of clothes on the bedside table. I changed into them, careful not to jostle my arm too much, but left my shoes untied. I was standing when the nurse came back accompanied by my partner, who didn't look very pleased.

  "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

  I was taken aback by his tone and stood there at a loss for words. He continued, "Sit your ass back down!"

  I decided to ignore him and turned to the nurse, "Do you have my discharge papers?"

  She nodded and handed them to me, but Declan snatched them away from me, "What the hell, Declan?"

  "I told you to get back into bed."

  "You're not my boss!"

  "Actual
ly, I am. And as your boss I'm telling you to get back in bed or I'll fire you."

  I was silent for a moment and took a deep breath. "Declan, what are you doing?"

  "Do you know what kind of fucking bloody night I've been through? You were on the fucking operating table for six hours. Your entire left arm, from the elbow to the shoulder, was shattered. The bullet ricocheted ten times before planting itself in your shoulder. Do you hear me? Your arm is putty underneath all that plaster. So you are going to sit back down or I'm going to make you."

  Whether I sat from the shock of his words or from the desperate look underneath all the anger, I don't know, but he sighed when I did and sat in the chair next to the bed. The nurse chose that moment to speak. "Um, if you don't need me I have other patients to help." She rushed out leaving us in a deep silence. I kicked off my shoes and brought my legs up, crossing them into a pretzel.

  "What's wrong with you, Declan?"

  He gave another big sigh before meeting my eyes. "They asked me if they should amputate your arm."

  "Seriously?"

  "They couldn't get a hold of your family and you had put me down as the emergency contact in your file. Why would you do that? Why would you give me that responsibility, Oda? I'm an asshole to you. I treat you like shit. I just don't get you."

  We sat in silence as I thought over my next words before saying, "You're right, you are an asshole. That's why I knew I could trust you with stuff like that."

  Declan gave a strangled laugh. "That doesn't even make sense."

  "It does. I've met a lot of people on my journey to become a cop and most of them were fakes. They treated me nicely and tried to get on my good side so they could brag to their friends and family that they knew a freaky blue eyes who was in the academy. I was a funny story to tell over a few beers or at the water cooler. You were different. You've treated me like shit since our first case, but it wasn't out of hatred for my kind. It was more like I was an annoyance to your everyday routine. What I don't understand is why you hired me if I annoyed you so much."

  Declan massaged his temples. "Jesus, Oda. We are both idiots."

  I laughed. "I'll drink to that. Except you're more of an idiot than I am."