Shades of Gray

by Amanda Ashley

Chapter Twelve

  Ramsey came awake with a start, all his senses suddenly alert. And then he heard it again, a woman's soft cry of pain.

  Throwing back the covers, he slid out of bed and went to the door.

  "Who's there?" He pressed his ear to the wood. "Who is it?"

  "Help me. Please help me. "

  "I can't, I'm sorry. "

  "Please! I'm so afraid. "

  Heart pounding, Edward went to the dresser. Picking up a sharpened stake, he slid it in the waistband of his pajamas; then, one hand clutching his cross, he opened the door.

  A young woman crouched in the hallway, her face half-hidden beneath a fall of tangled black hair.

  "Please," she said with a gasp, her voice heavily accented. "Please help me. " She extended a slender hand toward him, a hand covered with blood.

  Cautiously, Edward peered up and down the hallway. Seeing no one, he reached for the girl and pulled her into his room, then closed and locked the door.

  The girl huddled on the floor, sobbing, her face hidden by her hair.

  "What's happened to you?" Edward asked. "Do you need a doctor?"

  She did not answer, only continued to sob as though her heart would break.

  Kneeling beside her, Edward brushed the hair from her face, gasped in horror as he saw the two telltale wounds in her neck.

  Scrambling to his feet, he backed away from her, his hand clutching the cross so tightly it cut into his skin. "Who are you?"

  She looked up at him through blue-green eyes that had no doubt once been beautiful, but were now empty of all humanity. And then, moving slowly, she rose to her feet and walked toward him, her steps stiff, like a robot's.

  "No!"

  He reached for the stake in his waistband. In a blur, she lunged toward him. Grabbing the stake from his hand with a strength that belied her slender build, she broke it in half and tossed the pieces away.

  Terrified now, Edward struck out at her, his fist clipping her chin. With a feral growl, she picked him up and threw him across the room.

  Ramsey cried out as his head struck a corner of the dresser. Ignoring the pain, he grabbed a chair and smashed it over the woman's head, once, twice, three times, driving her backward until she dropped to her knees, a horrible, inhuman sound emerging from her throat as blood dripped down her forehead into her eyes.

  Knowing she would soon recover, he turned and threw the chair through the window. Grabbing his jacket and keys, he bolted over the sill into the gray dawn of early morning, grateful that he had insisted on a room at ground level.

  He raced to his car, not daring to look behind him.

  "Edward, what happened?" Marisa stood back so he could enter her apartment, then closed and locked the door behind him.

  "I'll tell you in a moment. " Breathing heavily, he staggered into the front room and collapsed on the sofa.

  "You're bleeding!" Marisa exclaimed.

  "No," he said with a gasp. "I'm all right. It's not. . . not my blood. "

  "Then whose?"

  He held up a trembling hand to stay her questions. "Wait. . . just. . . wait. "

  With a nod, Marisa went into the kitchen and turned on the coffeemaker. A glance at the clock showed it was barely six a. m. She drummed her fingertips on the countertop, wondering what had happened to Ramsey. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost. Or a vampire. . . but it was morning. Surely Alexi was asleep in his coffin, wherever that might be.

  The thought made her shudder. Thinking of Alexi brought Grigori to mind. He had told her he didn't sleep in a coffin, but she couldn't help picturing him laid out in a silk-lined casket, his arms folded over his chest, dead but not dead.

  She closed her eyes against the nausea that roiled in her stomach. She had let Grigori kiss her, had kissed him back, had wondered what it would be like to make love to him. How had she even considered such a thing? How had she forgotten, even for a moment, what he was?

  Pouring two cups of strong black coffee, she went out into the living room.

  Ramsey smiled faintly as he took the cup she offered him. "Thank you. "

  She sat down at the opposite end of the sofa, cradling the mug between her hands. It was comforting somehow. "Feeling better?"

  He nodded, then, using as few words as possible, he told her what had happened.

  "But how could she be out in the daytime if she was a vampire?"

  Edward shook his head. "She's not a vampire. She's a revenant. I suspect Alexi sent her. "

  "To kill you?"

  "I don't know. I don't think so. I think she was supposed to take me to him. " A sickly smile flickered across his pale face. "I have a feeling I was supposed to be dinner. "

  Marisa stared at Ramsey. It was too awful even to think about, yet she couldn't stay the awful images his words conveyed.

  "A revenant. " Marisa spoke the words aloud without realizing she had done so.

  "Yes. Fearful creatures. I've only seen a few, but they are even more frightening than their masters. "

  "Grigori told me Alexi had turned Antoinette into a revenant. You don't think. . . ?" She stared at Edward in horror.

  "I don't know. " He sipped at the coffee. "It's possible. But I just don't know. "

  "Did you. . . is she. . . ?"

  He looked up at her, his face ashen, his eyes troubled. "Dead?" Slowly, he shook his head. "No. There are only two ways to kill a revenant. Remove its head and heart, or kill its master. "

  "I feel like I'm living in the middle of a nightmare!" Marisa exclaimed. "None of this can be true. It's impossible. "

  "I wish it were. "

  "What are you going to do now?"

  "I shouldn't have run. I should have tried to restrain her, make her tell me where Alexi takes his rest. "

  "Are you mad? From what you told me, she sounds stronger than the two of us put together. "

  "I might have been able to subdue her long enough to tie her up. " He lifted one shoulder and let it fall. "I panicked. There's no excuse for it. "

  "I can think of several," Marisa muttered.

  "Grigori will see it as a weakness on my part. "

  "Well, we mortals are allowed to be weak now and then. "

  Ramsey smiled faintly. "Would you mind if I stayed here today?"

  "No, of course not. "

  "I don't think you should go to work. "

  "You don't think she'll come after me, do you?"

  "I don't know. It seems unlikely that Alexi would send her into the city in broad daylight, but. . . I'd feel better if you stayed home. "

  "We're really busy at the office," Marisa remarked, "but I've got some sick time coming. I guess it wouldn't hurt to miss one day. " She glanced at the clock. "No one will be there yet. Why don't you get some rest?"

  "Would you mind if I showered first?"

  "Of course not. The bathroom is down the hall, first door to your left. "

  With a nod, he carried his coffee cup into the kitchen. She heard him place it in the sink. A few minutes later she heard the shower go on.

  Putting her cup on the coffee table, she sat back and closed her eyes. She never should have agreed to stay home. She would have been better off at work. At least there, she'd have something else to think about.

  Ramsey returned fifteen minutes later. "Thanks. "

  "You look a lot better. "

  "I feel a lot better. " He regarded her for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "Are you game to go vampire hunting?"

  "Me? When?"

  "Now. We should be safe enough if we stick together. "

  "Are you going like that?"

  Ramsey glanced down at his T-shirt and pajama bottoms and grinned. "No, I have a change of clothes in my car. " He winked at her. "Pays to be prepared. "

&nb
sp; "Can I have breakfast first?"

  Ramsey laughed softly. "Of course. I'll even fix it for you while you get dressed. What would you like?"

  "French toast. "

  Giving her a thumbs-up sign, he went into the kitchen. She stood there for a moment; then, with a sigh, she went into the bathroom and shut the door.

  "So, where are we going to look first?" Marisa asked. It was a little after nine. She had showered and dressed while Edward fixed breakfast; then, while she cleaned up the kitchen, Edward had changed his clothes. She'd made a quick call to work to tell them she wouldn't be in.

  Now she was sitting in the passenger seat of Ramsey's car, her heart racing as she anticipated her first vampire hunt.

  "I think we'll start at my room. " Edward shifted the car into gear and pulled onto the street. "I need to pick up the rest of my things anyway. Perhaps she left a trail of some kind. "

  Marisa nodded. That made sense.

  Edward had been staying at a small hotel located uptown. He paid his bill, made up some excuse about the broken window, then packed his few belongings into a worn brown suitcase.

  Marisa stood in the doorway, her gaze sweeping the room. Except for the broken window, there was no sign of a struggle.

  "She must have cleaned the place up," Edward remarked. "See here? You can see where she tried to scrub the blood from the carpet. It's still damp. " He swore under his breath. "Looks like she got away without leaving a trace. "

  "Now what?"

  Edward rubbed a hand over his jaw. "I've covered practically every mile of Griffith Park and the surrounding area, since most of the murders took place in that part of town. I've also checked most of the nearby beaches. I've never searched around here, but I think he must be nearby. "

  "What makes you think that?"

  "The revenant. I doubt if she'd be able to drive a car. She couldn't take a bus either. "

  "Maybe a taxi. "

  "Maybe. " He shuddered as he recalled looking into those soulless eyes. No cabdriver in his right mind would have picked her up once he caught a glimpse of those lifeless eyes. "I'm thinking Alexi's resting place must be within walking distance of my hotel. "

  "So where do we look first?"

  "I'm not sure. Maybe I've been operating under the wrong assumption. Maybe he doesn't hide away anymore. Maybe he's rented a house. Come on. "

  Returning to the car, Ramsey threw his suitcase in the trunk and then headed for the residential section of the city.

  "What are we looking for?" Marisa asked.

  "A house that doesn't look lived in. Perhaps one that has bars on the windows. Certainly one that has all the curtains drawn. Probably a fenced yard. With a large dog. "

  They spent the next four hours driving slowly up and down every street. Ramsey spotted two houses that he thought looked suspicious. He wrote down the addresses, as well as the license numbers of the cars parked in the driveways.

  They went to McDonald's for cheeseburgers and fries. Marisa ordered a chocolate shake; Edward ordered coffee.

  They found a table near the window in the back. "What will you do after you. . . you've dispatched Alexi?" Marisa asked as she unwrapped her cheeseburger.

  "Take a long vacation, I think. "

  Marisa put ketchup on her fries, took a sip of her shake. "Where do you live?"

  "Nowhere. "

  "Nowhere?"

  "I have an apartment in Chicago, but I've never really lived there. It's just a place to pick up my mail. "

  "Haven't you ever wanted to settle down?"

  "I've never had time to think about it. "

  They finished the meal in silence. Edward got a cup of coffee to go, and they left the restaurant.

  They drove up into the hills. This was horse property, and the houses were more expensive and farther apart. Often, it was necessary to drive up a long winding road to get to the house. Twice, they came to driveways with locked gates. Leaving the car, they made their way up hillsides to where they could see the houses. Both had been family homes, with children playing outside.

  It was near dark when they returned to Marisa's apartment. "Well," she said as she unlocked her door, "that was a wasted day. "

  "Not really. At least we know where he isn't. "

  "Where who isn't?"

  Marisa's hand flew to her throat as Grigori materialized out of the shadows in the living room.

  "Don't do that!" she exclaimed as she switched on the light. "You scared me to death. "

  "Where have you been?"

  She tossed her handbag on the sofa. "Out. I'm gonna grab a Coke, Edward. Do you want one?"

  "Yes, please. "

  Grigori glared at Edward. "Do you want to tell me where you've been?"

  Edward sat down on the sofa and let out a weary sigh. "Where do you think? We've been looking for Alexi. "

  "You took her with you!"

  "It seemed the wisest course. "

  Grigori studied Ramsey a moment. "He found you, didn't he?"

  Ramsey nodded. "He sent someone after me. "

  Grigori went still. He stood there, knowing the question must be asked, afraid he already knew the answer.

  Marisa came into the room. She handed Edward a glass, then sat down on the sofa beside him.

  Silence cloaked the room like a shroud. And still Grigori stood there, his gaze fixed on Edward, though he was acutely conscious of Marisa, as well. He could hear the beat of their hearts, smell the blood flowing through their veins. Minutes passed. He was aware of their discomfort as the silence grew unbearable, knew that they, too, were aware of the vast chasm that yawned between them, an abyss that could never be bridged.

  Ramsey drummed his fingers on the arm of the sofa.

  Marisa toyed with a lock of her hair.

  "Who?" Grigori asked, his voice barely audible. "Who did he send?"

  "A woman," Ramsey replied in a voice equally soft.

  Grigori closed his eyes a moment, summoning the strength to hear it all. "What did she look like?"

  "Tall. Long black hair. Blue-green eyes. "

  He couldn't contain the anguished groan that rose in his throat. "Antoinette. . . Did you. . . Is she  -  " A muscle worked in his jaw. "Is she still alive?"

  Ramsey nodded.

  Hands clenching and unclenching at his sides, Grigori groaned again. "Annie. . . Annie. . . "

  Marisa shook her head, her heart breaking at the pain she read in Grigori's eyes. She could not begin to imagine what he was feeling, how awful it would be to know someone you loved had been transformed into something that was no longer human.

  And then the pain in his eyes was gone, consumed by flames of rage. "Tell me everything that happened," Grigori demanded, his voice gruff. "Everything you did today. "

  Ramsey complied, speaking in short, crisp sentences, as if he would be penalized for every unnecessary word.

  "You've told me everything you remember?"

  Ramsey nodded.

  "And you found no trace of Alexi?" Grigori asked, his voice harsh and bitter, like acid.

  "No, nothing. "

  "Do you think he'll send her after Edward again?" Marisa asked.

  "Yes, and we'll be waiting. "

  "We?" Edward asked, clearly surprised.

  Grigori nodded. "Tonight we'll find you a new place to stay. If he sent her once, he may send her again. And this time I'll be waiting. "

  "You're not thinking of spending the day in my room, are you?"

  "Exactly so. "

  Edward snorted. "How are you going to do that?"

  "Don't worry about me. "

  "Believe me, I don't. "

  "Well," Marisa said, discomfitted by the sudden tension between the two men. "I don't know about you two,
but I'm hungry. "

  Ramsey stood up. "Yeah, me too. As long as he's here, I think I'll go get something to eat. "

  "I don't think that's a good idea," Marisa said. "What's to stop Alexi from finding you?"

  "She's right," Grigori said. "You shouldn't be out there alone. "

  "I've got some steaks," Marisa said, "or we can order something in. "

  "I guess you're right," Edward agreed.

  "So, what'll it be?"

  "It doesn't matter to me," Ramsey said, "whatever you want. "

  "Well, I don't really feel like cooking. Let's order some Chinese. "

  "Sounds good to me," Edward said. "I'll take care of it. "

  "Okay. "

  "You want anything in particular?"

  "No. Well, some sweet-and-sour chicken, maybe. "

  "Right," he said, and went into the kitchen to use the phone.

  Marisa looked up at Grigori. He was still standing in the middle of the floor, his thoughts obviously turned inward. She wondered what he was thinking, and then, seeing the dark, haunted look in his eyes, she decided she didn't really want to know.

  It had been a heck of a day, she mused ruefully, and the night ahead didn't look like it was going to be any better.