by Ken Lange
I gave her hand a small squeeze and nodded. “Maybe one day, but that’s not going to be today.”
She grinned. “Fair enough. But that wasn’t the only reason I wanted to talk to you.”
Arching an eyebrow, I asked, “Oh?”
She released my hand and turned to me. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but the plane carrying Commander Kevlin and his people went missing an hour or so after takeoff.”
I blinked. “Went missing?”
Heather took a deep breath. “They were somewhere around Panama City, Florida when the pilot sent out a distress call. Shortly after that, the plane disappeared from radar. The Coast Guard’s been searching for them ever since. I only got word about the incident after you’d gone up to the office.”
What the hell? While I didn’t like the guy, I’d never wished him harm…not really, anyway.
“Let me know if you hear anything. I’d hate for the guy to go out like that.”
“I will.” She nodded. “There’s one other thing.”
I ran my hand over my face and groaned. “There’s more?”
Heather sighed. “Yeah…it’s Cole. I haven’t been able to get in touch with him. I know he was supposed to be recovering the kid’s father from a remote place out in Montana, but this is ridiculous.”
Goddamn it.
I hadn’t made my way up north, so I hadn’t had the opportunity to meet the vigil there, let alone get his number. I could’ve called Amelia, the vigil for North America, Baptist, Lazarus, or a number of other people to get the information I needed. But that’d be skirting my grandfather, who just so happened to be on the triumvirate, and one way or another, he’d find a way to make me pay for that…eventually. Which meant I had to swallow my pride, amongst other things, and do something I really didn’t want to do.
“I’ll call my grandfather and see if he can’t send some folks out to find him.”
She winced. “You sure you want to do that?”
I shook my head. “No, but it needs to be done.”
Since I’d been back, I’d spoken to Isapo-Muxika twice. The first time was shortly after the incident with Robert, and the other was right before my trip to Grants. He was still a hard-ass, which made him difficult to get along with, but the pure hatred he’d had for me as a child seemed to have dissipated…a bit.
Leaning over, she kissed me on the cheek. “Remember, you’re the grownup in this situation.”
While I wanted to make some sort of snarky reply, the look on her face told me it wasn’t such a great idea. “I’ll do my best to behave for Cole’s sake.”
She patted my hand. “Good.” Waving, she got to her feet. “I have work to do, and I’m going to assume you’ll want some privacy for the call.”
Without another word, she left me there in the garden alone.
After several minutes, I worked up the nerve to call my grandfather. He didn’t have a cell because, in his words, modern technology was an invention of the English, and as such, it wasn’t to be trusted. That meant I had to speak to the current chief, who hated my guts on general principal. He quickly put me on hold that was briefly interrupted by one of my school mates jumping on the line to cuss me out. Forty-five minutes later, Isapo-Muxika finally picked up.
Being made to wait hadn’t exactly sweetened my mood, so things did not go well between us. He was still angry at me for…well, I honestly didn’t know. I, however, had a list of reasons to be pissed off at the man. He’d done everything in his power to ensure my life had been as miserable as possible when I was there, and he was making it his mission to continue to be a thorn in my side now. The only positive that came out of the conversation was that he promised to send the local vigil, Vasile Ciocan, to investigate the situation.
Once the call was over, I sat there for a bit, staring at my phone. There was a lot of bitterness between us. Even given how long-lived we were, I doubted we’d ever work things out.
A few minutes later, I walked through the back door to find Heather and Gabriel in the kitchen.
Heather turned to me. “Did you speak with him?”
I nodded. “Mostly he spoke at me, but I was able to get him to send the local vigil out to check on Cole.”
Gabriel snorted. “I’m sure he was happy about Cole being up there.”
A halfhearted grin crossed my lips. “It was less about his being up there than him being a vigil under my purview. He took it as a direct insult that Cole hadn’t spoken to the triumvirate prior to his arrival.”
“Sorry.” Heather closed the fridge. “I’ve got some leads to run down on this Mr. Smith.” She walked over and kissed my cheek. “See you tonight.”
I nodded. “Stay safe, and let me know if there’s anything you need me to look into.” Shrugging, I said, “At the moment, there isn’t a lot for me to do, other than to wait on something to break loose.”
She shook her head. “Problem is every time something decides to ‘break loose’ around you, things go to hell very quickly. You focus on Cole, and I’ll handle this…because when it’s over, I’d like the house to be standing.”
I held my hands up to stop her. “Hey, it isn’t as if I broke Andrew’s house while I was staying there.”
She stopped, turned, and put a hand on her hip. “Need I remind you that you shattered a door, broke a wall, and executed two people in his house…one of whom still hasn’t been removed?”
Gabriel found the nearest exit and took it.
My gaze hit the floor. “Point taken.”
Her tone softened. “Look, I know it’s hard to wait, but you know as well as I do that something will happen, and when it does, you need to be prepared. For now, I’ve got this.” She shooed me toward the stairs. “Go do whatever it is you do and keep us safe from whatever’s coming.”
That was an awfully tall order. “I’ll do my best.”
Pivoting on her heel, she walked out the door.
Gabriel popped his head into the kitchen. “Is it safe?”
I waved for him to come in. “Yeah, she’s gone.”
He laughed. “For a guy who’s known for surviving things he shouldn’t, you tempt fate an awful lot.”
I couldn’t help chuckling. “I suppose.”
He patted me on the shoulder. “Is there anything you need me to do?”
I shook my head. “Not really. Just make sure we have a home to come back to this evening.”
He frowned. “So you’re off?”
Taking a deep breath, I nodded. “Yeah, but I’ll be back later. Right now, I need some time to think.”
His tone softened. “All right…if you need anything, you know I’m always here for you.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
With that, I went upstairs, got my things, and piled them into the Tucker. I wasn’t sure where I was going, but I needed some time to myself. A few minutes later, I found myself at Audubon Park next to the trail that circled the grounds. Some people drink when they’re stressed, but I like to walk. I find the act of putting one foot in front of the other calming. That, and it allows me to see problems from a different perspective…normally, anyway.
I wasn’t sure it would work with my current set of issues, but there was only one way to find out. After getting out of the car, I made my way over to the smooth pavement and set off at a leisurely pace. About halfway around, it struck me as odd that Duncan had fallen off the face of the earth.
Given how obsessed he was with finding the lantern, you’d think I would’ve heard from him by now…unless he’d found it. Or maybe someone else had gotten there first. That was a possibility considering both the church and Elmwood had been left unmanned last night while everyone tended to Commander Kevlin.
The image of a plane going down in the ocean came to the forefront of my mind. It was something I’d experienced once. The pilot had done something stupid—what, I had no idea as I was asleep at the time. A member from the team I’d been working with woke me by grabbing my harness and clip
ping us together before dragging me out of the back of a C-130. We were in the Pacific for nearly a day before we were rescued. That wasn’t a fate I wished on anyone, not even Kevlin. Hopefully, the Coast Guard would find the wreckage, pick up the survivors, and send them on their way.
Then there was the Gotteskinder. These assholes had specifically tracked me down to assassinate me. Other than being the head of the vigiles, had I done anything to antagonize these guys or was this just their way?
As I rounded the corner, a black 1925/35 Rolls Royce Jonckheere Aerodynamic coupe pulled into the lot and eased up next to the Tucker. A few seconds later, the round door of the driver’s side, the right, popped open, and Andrew stepped out.
Well, shit.
He glanced around until he spotted me. Waving me over, he leaned back against the fender of the old girl.
As I got closer, the thing actually got more beautiful. “Holy crap…is this your other car?”
He shrugged. “Yeah.” Patting the door, he smiled. “She hasn’t been out in a while, so I thought it was time.” I reached for it, and he held out his hand. “Have you washed your hands recently?”
I pulled my hand back. “Ah…no.”
He shook his head. “Then no touching.”
Chuckling, I said, “How did you know where I was?”
Andrew pointed at the Tucker. “I knew where she was, and I was hoping you were close by.”
I arched an eyebrow. “You got the thing bugged or something?”
He laughed. “Hardly, but she’s got more than enough of my enchantments on her to make her easy to find.”
That explained the ride, and the reason I never needed air conditioning. “Oh…so what brings you out here?”
His expression faltered. “Bad news. The aircraft carrying Commander Kevlin and his men crashed.”
I nodded. “Yeah, Heather told me.”
He frowned. “I’ve received a few updates since I spoke to her. They’ve located the wreckage, and from what they’re saying…it’s a mess out there.” Pausing, he sighed. “The likelihood of finding survivors isn’t good…not that they’ve recovered any of the bodies yet, but they feel it’s just a matter of time.”
Hanging my head, I sighed. “Damn, sorry to hear that.”
He patted me on the back. “They can’t confirm this yet, but according to the last transmission they received, a fire broke out, causing a catastrophic failure of the aircraft.”
I lifted my gaze to his. “You said they hadn’t found any corpses yet?”
He shook his head. “That’s right.”
A small glimmer of hope burned in my chest. “Maybe some of them were able to survive.”
Andrew didn’t appear convinced. “Doubtful, but maybe.” He shrugged. “I thought you should hear the news as soon as possible.”
“Thanks.” Giving him a weak smile, I said, “I appreciate you coming out to tell me yourself.” I gestured at the Rolls, and chuckled. “Of course, getting to ride around in this had nothing to do with your decision not to pick up the phone.”
The corners of his lips twitched. “I thought a call would be impersonal.”
Patting him on the shoulder, I grinned. “Of course you did.”
Chapter 14
After talking with my uncle, I’d come to the office in Elmwood eager to find some answers. Instead, all I’d managed to do was sort through two of the stacks of crap they’d left on my desk and give myself half a dozen papercuts. The shit part was I was no closer to finding anything useful than when I’d arrived. The thought of going through another pile made me cringe.
The notebook seemed like a better alternative, so I picked it up in the hopes something would suddenly make sense. Even with Kur’s help, though, nothing really came of it. From what we could gather from the drawings and math, the Gotteskinder were trying to find a key to open the other realms. If I had to guess they wanted to capture more of the jinn, enslave them, and use them against the Archive.
Personally, I didn’t think they could maintain their hold on Duncan or anyone else of his ilk for long. Sure, in the short term, they could do a lot of damage. But once the jinn found a way to free themselves, they’d destroy their would-be masters…and likely everyone else, just for good measure.
With that depressing thought, I packed up the notebook and a couple of boxes full of paperwork to carry out to the Tucker. By the time I’d gotten everything in the car, the only thing left of the day was a small line of light on the horizon that was quickly fading.
A half hour later, everything was moved into the office at Heather’s. The scent of something delicious wafted up from the kitchen and I couldn’t resist its pull. When I stepped into the dining room, Gabriel placed a platter of potatoes on the table next to a beef roast.
My stomach chose that moment to growl loudly. “Sorry, guess I’m hungrier than I thought.”
He grinned. “Grab yourself something to drink while I finish up here.”
Hastily, I made myself tea and found a seat at the table.
When he sat down across from me, we fell into a discussion of how very pointless our day had been thus far. We were nearly finished with our meal when my phone chimed, alerting me to a message. I didn’t recognize the number. Frowning, I touched the screen and quickly moved to my messages.
Pleasure to finally have a chance to talk with you. My name is Vasile Ciocan, and I’m here at the address you provided. I’ve attached several photos of the scene and will call after I’ve made another pass.
I blinked.
What the hell did he mean by scene?
The first photo was of the entrance, a very unremarkable white door. Everything after that said things had gone wrong very quickly. There were several shovel-sized holes in the sheetrock in the foyer. As for the shovel itself, it was lying on the tile halfway down the hall. The living room looked as if the WWE had held a title match in there. The sofa was overturned, shattered glass was all that remained of the coffee tables, and the massive flat screen TV was cracked and hanging onto the wall by its power cord. The hallway on the other side of the house was lined with scorch marks, and the ceiling was covered in soot.
My phone dinged again when another batch of photos came in. These were closeups of the walls and the three tranquilizer darts embedded in the doorframe leading into the living room. Faint traces of blood trailed down the hall and into the kitchen, where there was a small pool on the floor next to the island.
My stomach twisted itself into knots.
If the photos were any indication, Cole and Darius had been kidnapped…but whoever had done it had made every attempt to take them alive. Which was good, and a little confusing. But the odds were, he was still breathing, and that gave me some relief…even if it wasn’t much.
Leaving the photos up, I slid my phone to Gabriel. “Well, this sucks.”
It took him several seconds to scan them. He glanced up at me. “That’s the understatement of the day…”
My phone rang, and he handed it back to me.
I swiped the screen to answer the call. “Hello.”
The voice that came over the line wasn’t overly deep and it carried a slight accent, but it was so faded there was no way of telling where it originated. “Good evening, this is Vasile. I hope my timing isn’t too inconvenient…not that there’s ever a good time to receive bad news.”
It was weird how at ease his voice made me. “True. Thank you for looking into this for me.”
Vasile chuckled. “It’s the job I signed up for. I wish I had better news for you, though.”
Running my hand over the top of my head, I nodded. “Me too. Any idea what’s going on there?”
He took a deep breath. “Not really, no. From what I can tell, the house has been empty for a day, maybe two. Someone put up a hell of a fight, but whoever took them didn’t play fair and drugged them.”
I clenched my fist. “Yeah, I saw that.”
The sound of running water came across the line. “I’
ll collect a few samples and then it’s all about tracking them down.”
I furrowed my brow. “You can do that?”
There was the loud snap of wood being torn apart. “Yes, I can. Let me get what I need, and I’ll be in touch as soon as something turns up.”
Leaning back in my chair, I said, “Thank you.”
“Thank me when I find them alive and well.”
After the line went dead, I went back to my dinner.
Gabriel cleared his throat. “So…?
I shrugged. “Vasile will be tracking them from some samples he’s collecting around the house. Not sure how that’s possible, but there you have it.”
Gabriel snorted. “I’m guessing you haven’t read Mom’s file on the man.”
He was right, I hadn’t. The information I had was from Lazarus. “Do you know something I don’t?”
He wobbled his hand back and forth. “All I know is he’s a rare case. He’s a vampire lord without a kingdom.”
Was that supposed to mean something to me? I rubbed my temples. “Huh?”
Gabriel shrugged and held his hands up in an I-don’t-really-know fashion. “I’m just repeating what I read.” He paused. “Do you know much about how the vampires govern themselves?”
I didn’t, and even more curiously, neither did Kur. “No.”
He frowned. “Well, shit, okay. Let me fill you in on what I know.”
Vampires became a part of the Archive after Lazarus cut a deal with the vampire kings—the super-secret cabal that ruled over the vampires as a whole. No one was sure how many of them there were, but they were the only vampires able to procreate in the usual manner.
The children born to them were exceptionally powerful. Because of this, they were granted the title of lord and created a second-tier authority to act as a buffer between the kings and the rest of their kin. From there, the bloodlines thinned, as did the power wielded by those who were subsequently turned.
All the kings had at least one child; some, however, had more. But in order to maintain the balance, several thousand years ago, they passed a law forbidding the kings from creating any further progeny. If a pregnancy were to occur, both the mother and the unborn child were to be slain.