by Dale Mayer
I’m wondering if one of the men from the second to last room wasn’t part of the Nordic clans. He looked familiar, but it’s only as we were walking past that I considered it again. I’m not sure what’s going on here, but it’s bad news. If there was just the German clan here, then I’d likely think that they got greedy and are once again planning a full takeover of the conclave, but if there are more than one of the clans represented here – well, I’m not so sure.
Damn it. I wondered myself when I saw that guy. He’s like seven feet tall.
Yeah, all the vamps in that corner are. Must be their early Viking beginnings.
Who’d know?
I don’t know, Serus said. Our Councilman was supposed to go, but he’s upstairs like you said. If you could wake him up, he’d know. Maybe haul him back down and go room by room with him. Serus’s tone brightened. Actually, that’s a hell of a good idea.
Yeah, but David is pretty set on going down another floor and finding Jewel.
I know. But I’m not sure she’s in a ward. Look where they moved Ian. A small dinky room on his own. Check the broom closets, what should have been laundry rooms, etc. She’s more likely in there. I don’t know why they are doing this, but it’s a better scenario with what’s going down so far.
Goran stopped and spun to the opposite end of the hallway. “David, did you check the linen room down the hall?”
David frowned. “It was locked.”
“Exactly.” Goran grinned, striding back the way they’d come, saying, “Ian, didn’t you wake up in a similar type of room?”
“Yes,” Ian said. “It was some kind of supply room.”
“We’ve come across a couple of linen closets in the back of several rooms,” Motre said.
With a shake of his head, Goran said, “And you didn’t think that meant the locked rooms were more valuable?”
“Shit. Ian, come with me, there is another one of those locked rooms at this end. And I think a couple upstairs. As the rooms that were open were so big, the space in the closets so little, it never occurred to me that there’d be anything in there.”
Satisfied that they were at least going to make sure they hadn’t missed anyone and not ready to suggest that they wake up their own dignitary yet, Goran motioned to the locked door he’d just reached with David. David tested the door. It was locked. He pulled out his wallet, removed a credit card, and played with the lock. There was a loud snick.
With Goran standing ready, David opened the door. He did a quick sweep and stopped. Huddled in the far corner was – Jewel.
*
Jared dressed quickly after his shower. He’d taken a chance on that, not knowing when he’d get an opportunity for another one. As he dressed, he decided to go to see Taz and tell him everything. He couldn’t likely go to Taz’s house as he was married to a vampire, but the idea was one he couldn’t let go of. He felt safer with the vampires he knew at this point.
He wished he was just a few months older. Surely someone couldn’t take his family’s property from him in the meantime. If he was getting either of the places. He deserved them, but then again…that didn’t mean anything. He did wonder about trying to live in one of them on his own right now. His uncle’s house was the best option as his neighbors were already used to seeing him there. He’d lived there since he was just a kid. He just might try it…as long as the house was no longer a crime scene.
After school, he’d run by his uncle’s house and see what paperwork he had lying around. With the body gone, he’d really like a chance to pry into his uncle’s life some more and maybe find the asshole who’d bought his father. Then he could do the same with his aunt’s place. He didn’t know if anyone was allowed in either house, as technically both people had been murdered and he was pretty damn sure there was a process involved in solving such crimes, but it was his home. Maybe. It had been his home before that damn movie night. Surely it would be again. Now all he needed was to be eighteen and he could do what he wanted.
Except if this whole mess didn’t get solved fast, it wouldn’t matter what age he was, the danger would exist regardless. He packed up his stuff, made his bed, and left the room spotless, as if unoccupied. He might be back. He just couldn’t be sure. If there was any other option, he’d take it. He’d have slept on the streets if he thought that was better. But with the vampires hunting, he didn’t have a chance. He’d fall asleep and wake up strung up again. They’d brought down the one blood farm, but he doubted they were all gone.
There was too much money to be made in fresh blood. And it was always a problem with supply and demand. Always. With a last look around his room, he closed the door firmly and walked down to the kitchen. Pretending to stifle a yawn as he walked in, he took his seat beside two other boys and snagged several pieces of toast off a platter in the center of the table. Who knew when his next meal would be?
“Hungry, Jared? Looks like a good night’s sleep woke up the appetite in you.”
Jared smiled at the kid joshing him. “Yeah, no kidding. Kinda feel like I missed a lot of meals lately.”
The cook brought him a plate of pancakes and eggs. He took one look, smiled, and dug in. Perfect.
He looked up, his mouth full, to take a sip of milk from the glass in front of him, and saw the manager leaning against the doorway. Staring at Jared. Jared dropped his gaze and continued to chew as if everything was normal, but it was damn hard. And even harder to swallow the food down. With the glass of milk, he got it down. He stared at his plate and knew he had to eat it. But it was nerve–wracking with the asshole standing there. He glanced over again to see the cook and the manager speaking in low tones. Shit. He couldn’t help but think it was him they were talking about. His backpack at his knees, he wondered how he could sneak a little food and get the hell out of here.
Like a fly knowing he was caught in the spider’s web, Jared couldn’t get rid of the idea that he was about to be pounced on. He forked up another bit of egg, chewed, then repeated it until his meal was gone. He looked casually over to the side and realized both men had left. He relaxed slightly. Now to escape. He stood up, took his plate into the kitchen, grabbed a couple of granola bars and stuffed them into his pocket, snagged two apples and grabbed several muffins, then headed back to the table for his backpack.
With a fake cheery grin, he waved at the other kids, slung his pack over one shoulder, and walked out the kitchen door. Once outside, he raced to the side where the garage was and bolted into the bushes. He stood there out of sight and shaking with nerves. Thank God no one had come after him. He waited a long moment and just as he was about to step out of the trees onto the neighbor’s property, he heard a man call out angrily. “Where the devil did he go? I didn’t take my eyes off him but for a second.”
“In this case, it seems our intrepid Jared only needs half that time to disappear. Something to remember next time.”
Next time? Jared gave a silent snort. Like hell. If he couldn’t stay with friends or Taz, then he’d hide in the bushes until nightfall. There was no way he was returning to that home.
Especially not now that they were looking for him. He checked the view all around, hoping no one was watching from the window, and he slid to the back of the neighboring property and bolted to the far side and around, racing to the street. Safe on the other side, he started off down the road. It was early and there was little traffic.
That was fine with him. He’d had enough of people for a long time.
He didn’t trust any humans at this point. And very few vamps.
*
Rhia stared at Wendy, then glanced at the phone in Wendy’s hands. It was the lifeline between them and the rest of their friends and family in the hospital. Sian wasn’t here at the moment. She should be resting, but chances were good she was working on the Human Council issue. She didn’t know what to do about that going forward and was very confused as to Tessa’s capabilities that she’d seen while there. She couldn’t believe what her own eyes had seen.
It was all too impossible. She understood that much of what she’d seen Tessa do had been the catalyst for Rhia’s actions while under the influence of the drugs and the brainwashing triggers, but she wasn’t clear enough in her own head to work through it all. The brain fog was improved, but not enough to sort through the convoluted mess going on with the humans. She’d let Sian deal with them. She seemed to be so much more patient than Rhia could ever be. Taz must have had a major influence on her.
Rhia had enough to deal with like – like the latest text from Ian.
She struggled to deal with the latest bombshell.
“Did you say Deanna?” Rhia said in shock. “Tessa is going after Deanna because Deanna jumped into her mind and insisted?”
Wendy winced, held up her phone, and in a deliberate voice, she read the message out loud. “We’re splitting up. Tessa, Serus, and Cody are going to the morgue to find Deanna. She jumped into Tessa’s mind and insisted. David, me, Motre, and Goran are continuing with search for Jewel floor by floor.”
When she stopped, Rhia groaned. “Deanna? Oh dear God. Why Tessa? This is just wrong. She shouldn’t be able to do that. Not with Tessa.”
“Rhia? Are you feeling okay?” Wendy asked. “You are not making sense.”
Rhia stared at the young vamp who’d missed so much of the ugliness Rhia had seen. Wendy only knew the new traditions, not the old ones. She had no idea the power the old ones had and what they could do with it. Like Tessa, Wendy was innocent. But unlike Wendy, Tessa wasn’t safe. She was looking to find Deanna. The most powerful female of the entire conclave. Not just this clan. She was the most powerful female in the world. And she was dying. Or dead.
Dead would be better. Much better.
Dimly she recognized Wendy dialing on her phone while she collapsed back onto the bed. Her daughter was in trouble. And she didn’t even know it. Deanna would kill her. That she hadn’t done so already only meant she wanted Tessa for something else.
God help them all. Rhia didn’t think she’d survive if something happened to Tessa.
Sian appeared suddenly. “Rhia, what’s the matter?”
Rhia reached up and grabbed Sian’s arm, clutching her best friend hard. “It’s Tessa,” she said in a hoarse whisper. “Deanna has contacted her.”
Sian gasped in shock. “What?”
Rhia watched her friend look to Wendy. Wendy held up the phone and said in a quiet voice, “There’s a text message to that effect from Ian.”
Sian held out her hand, and Wendy gave her the phone to read the message herself.
In a tentative voice, Wendy asked, “Who is this Deanna, and why is it a problem that she’s contacted Tessa?”
“Because she’s one of the most powerful vamps in the entire conclave – if not the most powerful.” Sian collapsed beside Rhia, her face drawn and pale. She mustered up a smile for Wendy. “And because Deanna plays games. Deadly games. She deals in information on anyone and anything. If she’s involved, this is way bigger than I expected.” She shuddered. “And it’s way more dangerous, too.”
Chapter 12
Tessa bypassed the elevators. She knew they’d be faster and she was definitely tired of the stairs, but with all the cameras they’d showed up on, chances were good there were teams waiting for them. “We’ll be trapped in the elevators,” she said as she ran past her father, opening the stairwell door and bolting through.
“Tessa, wait up. We go together.” Serus jumped down the flight of stairs to land ahead of her. “No running off crazy–like.”
She sighed. “I wasn’t, Dad. But Deanna’s in trouble.”
“So is Jewel,” Cody said. “Remember that.”
She nodded, feeling chastised. She did have a tendency to become so focused on the problem at hand and forget about the rest. And Cody was right. There were a lot of people in trouble. “I know,” she said, “It’s Deanna who has the power to make sure I follow her orders…and if I don’t, I’m going to crash and burn again.”
Serus shook his head as he dropped to the next landing. “She might not be able to do that anymore.”
She understood what he meant, and it didn’t help. She didn’t want to consider that Deanna might be dead. It’s not that she’d had a chance to get to know Deanna in any meaningful way, but she’d connected with her. Had made a lasting impression. And she wasn’t one of the bad guys. And that mattered.
She was also a Leant. One of Tessa’s family bloodline. That mattered too. Tessa tried to shake off the heavy worry in her mind over Deanna’s fate. In truth, she’d lived longer than ninety–nine percent of other vampires. She thought about all the piles of ash she’d seen this past week and realized that Deanna’s passing was hardly something to mourn. It was a rejoicing of a life well lived. Not that she expected Deanna to agree with her assessment.
They passed landing after landing after landing. On the few doors with windows, her father took a quick look inside to see what type of activity was happening. But he never said anything. Tessa took only a passing glance. All the hallways were inevitably empty, with just more long white walls leading to multiple rooms. She shook her head. As they’d seen above, so many rooms were empty. Were they prepping for an influx or had they just moved out a large group of people? Her father stopped at the next landing and turned, a big grin on his face. “Goran says they’ve found Jewel.”
“Oh thank heavens,” Tessa cried. “Is she all right?”
Serus nodded. “David is with her right now.”
“Good. That’s one major worry off our plate.”
“Especially if she’s okay.” Cody added. “I was afraid they were doing more brainwashing on her like they did on Rhia.”
“Speaking of which,” Tessa turned to her father. “Dad, any word on Mom?”
He frowned and looked away from her.
“What?” She hated that he’d still try to hide information from her, but considering it was her mother, she understood.
“She’s awake and more or less normal,” he said reluctantly, “and some of her memories are coming back, but it’s spotty.”
“Memories coming back?” Tessa asked cautiously. “What is she not remembering?”
Serus winced. “Apparently me.” He lifted his shoulders in a forlorn movement. “I can hear her meander through the mess in her mind, but she isn’t seeing me. Nor is she hearing me.”
He jumped down another landing. And stopped.
Tessa, moving slower as her mind wrestled with what he’d just told her, came to a stop at his side. They’d reached a very large set of doors and a series of elevators. Not pretty elevators that they’d normally see in a hospital or an office building, but large service–looking elevators. Cody strode forward and clicked the button. The closest one opened immediately. It was empty. He stepped inside and checked out the numbers and names of the buttons he had available. “Looks like this goes down to the morgue.”
She nodded. “I think I still prefer the stairs.”
She walked away as he jumped out, the door closing on his heels. At his exclamation, she turned to see what had happened and realized his coat had gotten caught in the doors. She ran over and hit the button again, opening the door and releasing him.
Glaring at the elevator, they walked over to join her father standing and waiting for them. “They are big elevators. Likely to move gurneys full of bodies,” Cody said. “There was also a laundry level listed on the elevator buttons, so that’s another reason for the size. Some of those laundry carts are huge.”
“Tessa,” Serus asked, “Any word from Deanna? We’re close enough that you might be able to hear her.”
“Oh.” Tessa paused, her foot on the stair below. “I hadn’t considered that. I’ve never tried to contact her myself.” In fact, she’d avoided even thinking about that connection. It had been horrific. She kept descending the stairs. In her mind, she tentatively called out, Deanna, are you there?
No answer.
Yet there was a tingle. She frowned.
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“Tessa, you okay?” her father asked.
“Yes, I was just trying to contact Deanna. There’s no response, but I can feel a weird tingle as if there is a connection but she’s not capable of answering.”
“We’ll be there soon,” he said, motioning to the stairs.
Tessa didn’t think it would be soon enough.
*
Cody could see the worry settle on Tessa’s face. They were almost to the morgue level. In fact, as he came to a shuddering stop…they were already there. He peered through the square glass windows of the door. There were some kind of mesh in between the glass impeding his view, but he could still make out the large room full of gurneys and the walls full of cupboards.
“Is there supposed to be some kind of viewing room where they move the bodies into?”
“I think you’re talking about the human system where they raise and lower the bodies so families can see just their loved one.”
Serus growled, “Maybe, but the real question here is why are there dozens of gurneys just sitting there?”
Tessa frowned as she studied the sheet–draped gurneys. “And are they dead?”
“What else would they be?” her father asked.
“I don’t know,” she said, “But are there really that many dead vamps? And why do we need to have them on gurneys. Why not just turn them to ash?”
“Biohazard most likely. Just because we did that to them when fighting doesn’t mean it’s the best solution for a large amount of dead vamps.”
“But why are so many?” She turned to her father. “You know we don’t die easy or young.” She motioned to the scene beyond the doors. “This is quite likely what a human morgue looks like – but not a vamp one.”
Both men were silent as they stared into the room. “Do we know for sure that they are vamps under those sheets?”
Cody winced at Serus’s question. The same thought had occurred to him, but he wasn’t sure Tessa was ready for the answers. Still, they needed to find out. He pushed open the door and strode in. He searched for staff, but no one moved. Wasn’t that odd? He’d never heard of anyone doing an autopsy on vamps like they often did on people, but like Tessa said, vamps didn’t die young and rarely died at all. He lifted back the sheet on the gurney closest to him. It was a male vamp. He frowned and studied the young features. The man’s face was contorted as if he had been in extreme pain. He pulled the sheet further down to see the man’s hands splayed out like claws. “Serus, look at this.” He pointed out the man’s hands and faces to the other two. “Whatever killed him, it wasn’t an easy or fast death.”