Colleen. No. It wasn’t possible. She didn’t have a drop of vampire in her. Except…there was her unusual strength, and her psychic abilities, and that inhuman richness in her blood. Not to mention the physical jolt he experienced every time he looked into her eyes, like she’d been designed from her DNA up just for him. Or someone like him.
He fought to keep his fangs concealed. “Are you hunting the girls?”
The Preacher shook his head. “No reason to. They’re human, for the most part. As long as they stay that way, I’ll let them be.” He regarded Wallace with shrewd speculation. “If you’re protecting one, you’ll want to watch your back.”
“Always a good idea. Who am I watching it for, and where are they hiding?”
“If I knew that, they’d already be dealt with. My leads brought me here, but I think I’m too late. I doubt if they’ve gone back to the commune.”
“They haven’t. I checked there already.”
“As I suspected. As far as who, the name ‘Lebec’ keeps cropping up. He may even be one of the original founders. Descriptions from several incarnations of the kennel match up.”
“Never heard of him,” Wallace said. “I’ll ask around, and I’ve got some friends who can ask around. Thanks for the lowdown. I owe you.”
The slayer smiled full on. It wasn’t especially pretty. “Forget it. I know what you are, and what you do. If we both walk away intact tonight, I’m willing to call it even.”
“I’m good with that. Suppose I need a follow-up. How do I get hold of you?”
“You don’t. Call Triton’s Den and ask for Alonzo. He’ll pass the word along. Better still, try not to need me.”
“Same here. You show up at my house, and I might take it the wrong way. Wait, I know. Contact Dr. Gus Stanton in Hermosa Beach. You two might want to swap notes.”
“The Lion? I thought he and Dorothy were inactive.”
Whoa. Sucker’d done his homework. “They’re cheering us on from the sidelines. You never really get the slayer out of your blood.” Wallace patted his chest. “Case in point.”
The Preacher nodded. “Hermosa Beach. I might look them up.” He started to back away.
“Wait,” Wallace said. “One other thing. You move around a lot. You keep in touch with other slayers.”
“I stay abreast of their activities. It’s not the same thing.”
“Whatever. I’m looking for a slayer. He cleaned out a nest in Tacoma about two years ago.”
The Preacher narrowed wary eyes. “What do you want with him?”
“To say thanks. I was hunting this bat—a loose end from my days in LA. I heard he’d gone to Tacoma, but by the time I tracked him down, the flock was dead, and the nest had been burned to the ground. Some other slayer beat me to the punch. Any idea who?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact. That was me.”
Wallace went dangerously still. “You?”
“I remember the incident. A rash of killings—victims drained of blood—and orgies afterwards. I was lucky enough to stumble over a lead. There were signs of only four at the nest itself. I tracked as many of the others as I could, but then they scattered. If your bat was in that house, he’s gone. You don’t have to thank me.”
No chance of that. If Wallace could breathe, he would have stopped several minutes ago. “I heard there’d been a human involved. Some kid they were using as a blood lust slave.”
“That would explain the orgies. I rescued a boy from the house. I didn’t find any signs they’d been feeding on him, but he was still pretty messed up.”
No shit. You murdered his family. You wrecked his life. You almost destroyed him, you son of a bitch. “What happened to him? His, uh, his folks are probably worried about him.”
“He got away from me. I don’t know where he is. I want to believe he found help somewhere. More than likely, though, he ran straight to another flock. They’ll do that. Once a vampire marks them, that’s pretty much the end. I wish I could tell you something more hopeful, but that’s the way it is.”
He sounded honestly contrite. Lucky for you, you shit bastard. That just saved your life. For now. His beloved Scarecrow’s revenge by proxy would have to wait. He had to get this information back to his family and make sure Colleen was safe.
Wallace’s lips twisted in the semblance of a smile. “Thanks. We’ll have to do this again sometime.”
“I don’t think so.” The Preacher had edged one hand beneath his coat. He must have noticed Wallace’s shift in attitude, from fellow slayer back to mortal enemy. Fucker was good. All the more reason to let him walk now and wait for a better time and place. “Good luck, Tin Man.”
“Yeah. You, too.”
Wallace let the Preacher retreat. He had the son of a bitch’s scent, and he wouldn’t forget. Right now, though, Colleen and Scarecrow needed him. He jumped the fence and dashed in a blur for his van.
Chapter 16
Colleen struggled back to consciousness. Her head throbbed, and a positively horrible taste coated her tongue, thick as a shag throw rug. I fell. I think I fell. She’d been at the preschool, getting ready to leave. Norelle had come over to bug her for details on her after-work plans. I must have tripped on a toy.
Gentle hands took her shoulder and elbow and helped her sit upright. The voice that murmured anxiously against her cheek was too deep to be Norelle’s. This wasn’t the carpeted floor of the playroom, either. It was slick linoleum that hurt her knees. The room spun briefly, making her gut lurch. Had she and Norelle gone out after work? Did she have a hangover? Impossible. She never got wasted on work nights.
She didn’t go out after work these days, either. It wasn’t safe because of the vampires.
Colleen clutched at the hand on her shoulder. Its size proclaimed it male. She swayed back and blinked up into the other’s face.
“Jeremy?”
He nodded. The action brought on a wince. He didn’t look any steadier than she felt. “Welcome back,” he croaked. “I just woke up myself.”
“What happened? Where are we?” She looked around slowly. The room was stark and sterile, about ten feet across and twice that in length. The stale air carried a dry, desiccated odor that reminded Colleen of the funeral parlor that had handled Uncle Oscar’s passing. The room’s concrete walls were lined with shelves and rows of safe-deposit boxes. Both the doorway and door were as round as a wheel. “Are we in a bank vault?”
“Looks like it. Don’t ask me where.” He sniffed as she had seen Wallace do. “It smells like bat in here. I think this is a den.”
“Vampires? In a bank?”
“Makes sense. Look around. No windows, reinforced walls, steel door for added security. Excellent place to sleep. Plenty of banks closed in the last economic dip. Some enterprising vamp could have bought the building. How did they get you?” His hands on her tensed. “Did they attack the school?”
“No, everything was fine. Well, except for Norelle. She had a bug or something. She was acting weird all day.” A sudden chill rippled over her skin. “Norelle. We were getting ready to leave for the day. She came over to ask me something. That’s the last thing I remember.” That, and the scarf her friend had kept wrapped around her neck in eighty-degree heat. “Oh God. Norelle. They got Norelle.”
“I’m sure she’s okay,” Jeremy said quickly. “They can take control of a human without turning them. It’s only temporary.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I think that’s how they got me, too,” he added ruefully. “Some girl came to the door. She said her car broke down and her cell died. I turned my back on her to get my phone, and I think she chloroformed me. That’s probably what Norelle did to you.”
“Why you? They had me. Why you, too?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Hostage. Revenge. Insurance against Wallace. He’s a slayer, and he got in their way. They’ll want to punish him by destroying his flock.” His voice turned grim. “I’d like to know how they found us.”
“It wasn’t Norelle. I ne
ver told her where you lived. I don’t think I even said I was staying with you.” She peered up into his eyes. “A girl overpowered you? What was she, Wonder Woman?”
“No, just a girl. She was smaller than you. But strong. Vampire strong.” His frown deepened. “She couldn’t have been a vampire. The sun was still out. She didn’t even have a jacket on.” He shrugged again. “Nice boobs.”
“Not helping.”
“Right. Let’s have a look at that door.”
He got up, swayed, and nearly sat again. He made Colleen stay put until he got his legs back then helped her up. Of course, the door was locked. Colleen’s purse and her cell were both missing. Jeremy’s pockets had been emptied as well.
“So much for the great escape.” Colleen sagged against one wall, between two sets of shelves. “You think this is it? Their hideout?”
After a moment’s consideration Jeremy said, “No. Banks are too accessible. They need to hide a bunch of bats and maybe a dozen humans. We were taken during daylight. I think this is a holding cell. I’ll bet they move us after dark, after the vampires wake up.”
“Wallace can find us, right?”
“He could if he was still in the area.” Jeremy banged his fist on the door. “I told him we should have gone with him.”
Where was Wallace now? Still up in Sacramento, or on his way home? He’d have no clue as to what had happened to them. He might be dead already. Colleen shut her eyes and delved deep into her mind. She was psychic. They shared a connection. It always worked in the movies.
Not in this case, however. Darn real life. It had a nasty habit of letting people down.
Colleen pushed away from the wall. She was pleased to discover she could stand without wobbling. “Okay, so they’ll be coming for us. What do we do? I don’t see any stakes lying around.”
“If we’re lucky, it’ll only be one or two. I can handle one or two. I’ve got a few ideas.”
The door creaked and started to move.
Instantly, Jeremy and Colleen leaped away from the door and toward each other. They backed up about fifteen feet and watched the door swing open.
Hopes of an easy escape died with the six vampires who crowded into the vault. Colleen didn’t recognize any by features, but their movements and their attitudes were chillingly familiar. They, or their kin, had come to the Woods and the Waters at night to drink from their brides and acquaint themselves with their future brides. All six looked at Colleen as those others had long ago, with bodies in a semi-crouch and hunger in their eyes.
She shrank against Jeremy and screamed for Wallace in her head. Just for an instant, she thought she made contact. He was rocketing his rented van down the highway at a dangerous speed, headed in their direction. Her mind saw his eyes flash red and heard his vicious oath.
A seventh vampire entered the vault, shattering Colleen’s desperate daydreams. This one was female, a leggy, brown-eyed blonde in a halter top and cutoffs. Their guards parted to allow her access then closed ranks behind her. She looked to be no more than twenty-five. Colleen knew that had to be a lie. She carried herself with an arrogance that spoke of an existence far longer than two decades. If she meant her smile to be disarming, her predator’s fangs wrecked the look.
“Colleen,” she said. “Finally. We really had to hunt for you, you naughty girl.” She undulated forward but stopped a good four feet away and mercifully made no attempt to touch her. She sniffed at Colleen instead. Her satisfied growl sent a shudder down Colleen’s spine. Colleen crowded closer to Jeremy.
“You don’t remember me, do you? No, I guess not. I wasn’t around that long. Maybe you weren’t even born yet. It’s hard to remember sometimes.” The vampiress shrugged it off. “Still got the psychic thing going on? That’s good. You were the strongest of the lot.” She smiled in a sham of friendliness. “I’m going to help you reach your full potential. We’re going to have so much fun. We’ll be just like sisters.” She reached out.
Jeremy set himself between them. The vampiress blinked, as if only now noticing him. “Aren’t you gallant. And pretty. You’re the Tin Man’s bat bitch, aren’t you? I’m sure we can find a use for you, too.” Her voice dropped to a jaguar’s purr as she looked him up and down. “All sorts of uses.”
Jeremy said nothing. Colleen clutched his arm. Her psychic prickle hit a burst of power wafting off the she-bat like heat waves. Like pheromones. Vampire allure. The blonde sent her attraction washing over Jeremy with a force that made Colleen sick to her stomach. Jeremy just half smiled down at her, still without a word.
The vampiress literally staggered back from the blunt rejection. Her eyes went scarlet. Dropping any pretense at good will, she snarled openly at them both.
“You’re good,” she spat at Jeremy. “Nice barrier. Somebody did one hell of a job on you. I can’t wait to break it down.” She whirled and thrust her way through the guards. “Watch them,” she ordered her backup bats. “Him especially. He’s been conditioned to resist us.” The she-bat stormed out without bothering to shut the door behind her. “Where’s the damn truck?”
Somebody answered from outside the vault. This voice too sounded female. Colleen thought she caught the word “Mistress.”
The vampires closed up and went back to watching them with those awful blink-free stares. Jeremy stepped in front of Colleen, blocking her from them, his back to the vamps.
“When I move,” he whispered close to her ear, “open up your blouse a little. Show them your throat. You don’t have to say or do anything else. Just let them smell you.”
“What?”
“We don’t have much time. See that vamp on the far right? The twitchy one? He’s right on the edge of a feed. I think I can work him.”
“Hey!” a vamp barked. “No talking, you two. Move apart.”
“Sure,” Jeremy said easily. He stepped away from Colleen. Correction, make that flowed. He’d ramped up that inhuman grace of his to near-vampiric levels. The vampires took notice and focused their full attention on him. All but the one on the end, the twitchy one Jeremy had pointed out. This one continued to stare at Colleen, at her neck in particular.
Recalling his instructions, Colleen tugged at the collar of her blouse. She tried to make the action look natural, like she’d grown too hot or nervous. The nervous part she didn’t have to fake. She fumbled her top three buttons open. Crap. How did one seduce a vampire? Slit the wrists?
“How’s it going, boys?” She knew that husky tone in Jeremy’s voice from their nights together. He used it more on Wallace than with her. It never failed to get a swift reaction. Same here. The whole line went on the alert, like dogs presented with raw steak. Jeremy smiled and casually massaged his neck, his fingertips suggestively tracing the path of his carotid artery. The twitchy vampire licked his lips and growled low down in his throat.
“Awful close in here,” Jeremy said. “Damn, I’m getting thirsty.”
The twitchy vamp growled again. Colleen’s palms grew damp. How could Jeremy stay so calm with these six monsters eyeing him like he was Sunday dinner? But they weren’t monsters to him, were they? He’d been trained to service things like them. To him, they were the prey.
“You guys must be hungry,” Jeremy remarked, still in that seductive drawl. “Too bad you can’t touch us. We’re not for you. We’re going to the head of your flock. Her blood’s too rich for the hired help, and I’m a trained blood lust slave.” The bat on the end hissed sharply. Jeremy smiled at him. “Must be tough, to be after us so long, and then you finally catch us, and you’re not allowed to drink. I’ll bet that really bites.”
That did it. Colleen practically felt the click as the bat on the end switched over from guard to predator with easy blood right in front of him and five hungry rivals in the room. His eyes left Jeremy and raked over his fellows in crimson-tinged suspicion.
“Damn shame,” Jeremy said and quickly stepped backward, exactly like a victim in retreat.
It proved too much for the twitchy
vamp. He lunged at Jeremy. Two of his partners leaped to drag him back. He turned on them with fangs bared to the root, and the fight was on.
“Come on.” Jeremy grabbed her hand and slid them along the wall, the shelving at their backs, away from the blurry chaos in the center of the vault. Colleen shut her ears against the inhuman snarls and the sounds of teeth ripping flesh. They ducked through the doorway and ran.
A dozen strides took them into the former bank’s lobby, a messy hole littered with shabby chairs, a couch, plastic blood bags, and too many splotches of dark maroon on the floor. She spotted the door to the outside the same second Jeremy did. They bolted for it in tandem.
A particularly vicious roar erupted from the vault. Colleen glanced back. “Don’t worry about them,” Jeremy said. “They’re followers. Flock. It’s the woman we have to watch out for. She’s—”
She was right in front of them. She backhanded Jeremy into the wall. “You got that right, sweetie. As for you…” The vampiress turned toward Colleen, right into Colleen’s swinging fist. Knuckles met teeth. The she-bat reeled back with her hands clamped over her mouth and a thin, high screech that leaked between her fingers. Colleen grabbed Jeremy and helped him stagger out the bank’s double doors and into the night.
At the curb sat two vehicles, an armored truck and a Cadillac with its motor running. The Caddy was guarded by another woman. Colleen caught a glimpse of dark hair, Asian features, red eyes, and a mouth full of fang before Jeremy barreled into the vamp and knocked her aside. She sprawled on the sidewalk. Colleen hopped over her and clambered into the passenger side. Jeremy threw himself behind the wheel and roared the Caddy away from the curb. The bank and the vampires fell away behind them.
After three blocks, Colleen judged she had enough breath back to ask questions. She thought her trip-hammer heartbeat would drown out her voice. “Where are we?”
“Hell if I know. I don’t recognize this neighborhood. See if this thing has a GPS. We should find a police station, or someplace we can hide until sunrise.” He flashed a smile at her. “Nice move with the queen. How’d you know to aim for the fangs?”
Cunningham, Pat - Legacy [Sequel to Belonging] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 20