by Kim Schubert
I shrugged, leaning into his embrace. “You are worth it.” I told him before kissing him again.
He groaned as we continued on back to the car. I was dependent upon his perfect night vision even with the tendrils of moonlight slipping between the trees, it was slow going.
Back at the car, I lumbered in, the back of my neck and back starting to ache from my run in with the cave wall. “Hotel?” I asked Blake hopefully. I was ready to shower and sleep this adventure off.
“Hotel.” He agreed, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel deep in thought.
…
I slept deeply, my body needing the rest after the chase and demolition of the rogues. I was thankful I walked away with just a bruised back. Rogue bites were something terrible - not only going for blood, they would tear chunks of meat off a living creature.
As comfortable as the hotel bed was eventually, my eyes refused to stay shut as I looked blearily around the room. I knew Blake wasn’t in bed with me from the keyboard on his laptop clicking. He made a delicious sight sitting in only a pair of pajama pants scowling at said laptop.
“You face is going to get stuck that way,” I informed him, my voice harsh from sleep.
He gave a soft laugh, clicking rapidly away on the keyboard as I pushed up into a sitting position. My hair was matted and stuck out at awkward angles from sleeping on it wet, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. Cleaning off the grime of that place was heavenly last night.
“We need to get you a new phone,” Blake reminded me still busy with his laptop.
“Uh huh,” I answered, pulling the covers off of me.
Blake sighed, still not looking up at me as I padded across the floor in only a t-shirt. Pressing a finger against the top of his laptop, I closed it with a click, enjoying the surprise that flashed across his face, followed by a knowing grin.
“Your back still hurt?” He asked, pushing his chair back giving me room to straddle him.
“Uh huh.” I answered, fisting his black hair before I pressed our lips together, enjoying the feeling his strong body beneath me.
…
Once my back felt better, I showered again, blow drying my wild locks and devouring the room service Blake ordered.
It was earlier than I enjoyed being awake and I told Blake such as we drove out to the Mason House.
“You’ll survive,” he informed me dryly.
The Mason House was nothing like Centennial House. A farm house on the outskirts of town complete with a broken down log fence lacked the upscale luxury I had come to associate with vampires.
“You sure this is the right place?” I asked Blake, looking back at the ranch style building.
“Certain,” he stated, confidently walking to the dusty dull brown door.
A butler answered before we even knocked, complete with a suit, a towel draped over his arm, and suitable British accent.
“This way please, Val is expecting you,” he stated, turning from the door as we followed him in.
The interior of the house was unremarkable and unlived in. I followed along as the butler punched in a code on what appeared to be the party door. It slid open, revealing a sleek metal elevator. Blake stepped forward and I followed him impressed.
“Someone has watched Batman too many times,” I whispered, laughing.
Shaking his head, he gave me a grin before wrapping an arm around my waist pulling me close to him. “I know,” he answered, laughter coloring his words as he inhaled deeply at the base on my neck, his powerful chest pressed against my back.
Too soon, the doors opened into an immense metal room, complete with a high ceiling, fake daylight and vampires hustling around.
“This floor has got to be a bitch to clean,” I muttered as we stepped off the elevator.
Blake laughed as Val looked up from her paperwork, still dressed in the same leathers as last night only a white lab coat thrown over the ensemble.
“Nice of you to finally join us,” Val stated blandly, roving over our rested and clean appearances. Turning, she lead the way into the underground, metal fortress.
Blake and I followed her quick pace down a long hallway and into the lab she entered. “So as I emailed you, this is everything we found,” she stated, indicating two long tables stretching out the length of the room.
Heaving a sigh, I looked down into the boxes of human remains pushing it aside as I fumbled through the rest of the items. A broken crate, scraps of paper, and the chains were by far the most interesting items there.
“Did the mage examine these?” I asked, looking up at Val.
“She did,” Val stated guardedly.
“What did she find?” I asked, pressing the subject.
Val sighed, not looking up from her paperwork. She replied, “I’m not cleared to share that with you.”
I groaned. Vampire politics.
“When is your Master available?” I asked with a sigh.
Val looked at Blake than to me, “Our Master will only release the information to Tate.”
Blake growled lowly, “Tate is in meetings until tomorrow.”
Val shifted uncomfortably, probably already knowing that.
I sighed. “Take a picture Blake. We can show it to Jerry and see what he thinks.” I turned to look at Val, “Until Tate can be reached.”
Anger shimmered off Blake in hot waves, “We were promised full cooperation,” he hissed through clenched teeth.
Val looked at me again and I understood. “It’s me Blake. They don’t want to share the information with me.”
Val almost looked apologetic. “Why?” Blake asked her, pressing the issue.
“There is talk that she knows what the human remains do. That she already knows too much about our kind,” Val finished.
I shrugged and said “I’ll wait for you upstairs,” heading out the way we came.
He caught my arm, angry at my treatment. “Relax, this isn’t new,” I said with a sad smile. Not new at all. No one wanted my help, until I was the only help left, but it also helped me jack up my prices. Desperation was a fantastic negotiation strategy.
I made my way alone to the elevator which thankfully opened once I stepped in front of it, sparing my ego from having to go for help from Val. Based on the high tech cameras, I assumed security was only too happy to send me back topside. Whatever.
The butler looked surprised to see me back so soon and without my companion.
“Can I hang out here until my ride is finished?” I asked him, stepping back into the country home.
“Why of course, my dear child,” he said, ushering me into the living room.
I didn’t even have my phone to play with, I realized with a sigh, but I had plenty to sort though. Something or someone was responsible for creating the rogue vampires the chains alone told me that much. That someone could easily start kidnapping vamps again.
I chewed on my nail and thought, just as that same person could begin again with the shifters.
Assuming it was the same person or thing. I was making a leap based on the evidence and a gut feeling.
I didn’t see how the snakes factored into all of this though, unless the reason the bodies weren’t found was because that’s how the shifter ring was being populated by the alluring hallucinations.
So the question remained, what was strong enough to capture both vampire and shifter alike? Who had an understanding of how to use magic chains and knew the vampires deep dark secret?
I sure as shit didn’t know, but I was going to find out. At least this problem I could solve. I could hunt down and kill the beings responsible, unlike Blake’s family problems.
I don’t know how long I brooded upstairs, staring out the bay window asking myself pointless questions I couldn’t answer and guessing about the source of the problem, but eventually Blake made an appearance.
“Ready?” he asked me tensely.
“Yep,” I answered, stretching as I followed him outside waving goodbye to the butler.
Once the car doors closed, he scoffed, “They didn’t know shit.”
I laughed. “Or they’re hiding the information,” I offered.
He shook his head, “Maybe, possibly. I hope they are not as dim witted as they seemed.” He said shaking his head, “But I doubt it.”
“Grams called while I was down there, the store has your replacement phone ready and waiting,” he said, peering at me.
I laughed. “I didn’t check in for a week once due to a missing phone and the woman about had my head, we should probably take care of that sooner rather than later.”
“Where do you think we are headed now?” He smiled.
“I was hoping to the mage that freed you?”
“You are in luck. Her shop is only a mile from the phone store.” Blake grinned.
“Indeed I am.” I wished Jerry was still here. I trusted him. I was undecided if I trusted old violet eyes.
…
I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing the guy at the phone store was terrified of us or not, but it made getting in and out very efficient.
We walked over to the mage’s shop, which advertised itself as a herb emporium, according to the sign painted across the glass window. Everything looked delicate as Blake and I crossed the threshold and I was slightly worried about touching anything. I was also instantly captivated by all the shiny objects.
“Blake,” the mage greeted, coming out from behind a beaded curtain in the back as the bell announced our presences. “I thought I would be seeing you again.”
“Mae, this is Olivia. We were hoping to ask you a few questions regarding the shackles you freed me from,” Blake stated professionally.
Mae smiled and said, “Please come into my office.” She turned around as the beads rustled against each other.
Blake and I shared a look before I shrugged and we followed her. It was far darker in the back room. There was a small circular table with a crystal ball elegantly adorning the pristine white table cloth.
“Sit,” Mae said and pointed, with a hand glimmering with rings as she took a seat across from us. Pushing up her purple sleeves, she asked, “The shackles are what bring you here?” she asked, knowledge and mirth dancing in her eyes.
“Yes,” Blake answered, shifting uncomfortably. “We were hoping they might give us a lead on whoever organized the rogue vampires.”
Mae steepled her hands, looking over at Blake for a long time before speaking, “That is not the question you heart wishes to have answered.”
I watched Blake tense up, his jaw clenching as he stared back at the mage.
“I already have my answer to the other matter,” he gritted out.
“As you say,” Mae taunted him before returning her gaze to me. “The shackles were poorly done by someone with a limited knowledge of our ways, a new witch perhaps, but not a mage.”
I nodded. Mages prided themselves on their crafts and typically were specialized. They also didn’t believe in covens as witches did.
“Is there a way to track the magic used?” I asked.
Mae thought for a moment, tilting her head from side to side before answering, “Had they not been as used as they were I would say yes, but given all the pain and suffering energy they absorbed I would think not.”
I nodded again looking to Blake if he had any additional questions, but he was silent and I could see the conflict on his face as he debated asking Mae what he really wanted to know.
“Perhaps it is best you if wait out front,” Mae said to me gently.
I nodded, taking myself out of her office and back into the shop, perusing the endless items for sale. I kept my mind on my current case and not on what Blake was asking and the anger on why I yet again had to leave.
Blake pushed out from the beaded curtain a few minutes later and rushed to the car. I followed him, yelling, “What the hell is going on?”
“You need to take me to the airport. I have to get back to St Ann,” he bellowed at me, running to the car. Hot on his heels, I tried to keep up and thankfully he waited for me before speeding away from the curb.
“You want to tell me what happened?” I asked, holding on to the door handle for dear life.
“I can’t,” he grunted, slamming me into the side of the vehicle with his next turn.
I was silent for the duration of our journey.
Slamming the car into park and grabbing his bag, he gave me a quick kiss and dashed off. I was certainly glad that I had convinced him to follow my usual routine and pack everything back up.
I watched him for a moment, disappointment swelling inside of me. Our time together on this case was brief, but enjoyable as I scooted over to the driver’s seat. It was time to go to Vinita and see what the brothers had dug up.
Chapter 15
I stifled a yawn as Darren, Logan, and I waited for the detective in charge of the investigation into the shifter ring I had busted up. Taking a lazy look around the room, I had decided Vinita, OK was designed and decorated by the same person with the same miserable taste as in St. Ann. Dull colors and unimpressive decorations. Personally, I was amazed the thin metal chairs under Darren and Logan hadn’t collapsed.
“Why are we in an interrogation room?” Darren hissed under his breath, hardly moving his lips.
“They don’t trust us,” I told him, kicking my legs out under the table, my back to the double glass window where I was certain they were watching us.
“Logan, stop staring at them,” Darren warned.
“I do not like being kept waiting,” he informed Darren, not bothering to lower his voice.
“So sorry we are interfering with your busy day, your highness,” I told him, pulling out my new ringing cell phone from my jacket pocket.
“Hey babe,” I answered, happy and surprised to hear from Blake so soon. I had texted him asking for information, but thought his ‘family problems’ would push it to the back burner.
“I have that information you asked for,” Blake said, clearly distracted.
Pulling the random pad of paper to me, I accepted the pen from Darren before saying, “I’m ready.”
“In a ten mile radius around the camp you found, missing persons cases have been up by ten percent in the last six months compared to last year. A larger radius of twenty-five miles gives an increase of twenty-three percent in the last six months.”
“Are they all human?” I asked, shifting the phone.
“As far as I can tell, but vampires wouldn’t report to the authorities a missing person and shifters well, they all look the same.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as Darren and Logan both turned to me.
“They’re with you now?” Blake said, laughing on his end.
“Yeah, we’ve been waiting for-” I checked my indestructible watch, “fifteen minutes and Logan is ready to haul them through the double-sided glass. Can you send the list over to Logan’s side and we get can verification if any are shifters?”
Blake paused as noise in the background demanded his attention. He sighed, a very human sound before returning his attention back to me.
“Done. You good for now?” he asked strained.
“Yeah. You need me when I get back?” I asked, worried about what was happening on his end.
“I always do,” he growled, sending heat to my belly.
I couldn’t help but smile into the phone. “I’ll be home soon,” I told him softly, ending the call.
Tapping the pen against the paper, I looked down at the numbers. I forgot to ask the ratio of male to females, I realized.
Logan had his phone out and I assumed he was checking the email from Blake. He asked me, “How does he get his information so quickly?”
“They have an entire room of tech and a staff devoted to it. It’s quite impressive,” I told him.
Logan grunted and kept staring at the glass.
“What do you think it means?” Darren asked, leaning forward to look at my scratch, having heard both sides of the conversa
tion easily.
“They are a well organized group of sickos.” I sighed, feeling my stress level increase. “I probably didn’t kill all of them off.” I realized that more women were being brutalized and raped. I had failed them.
Clamping down on those emotions quickly, I shoved them away for another day, replacing it with confidence. I would figure this out, I would end it.
“This isn’t your fault,” Darren told me earnestly.
I gave him a rueful smile. No it wasn’t, but that didn’t mean I felt any less responsible.
“How long are we going to wait here?” Logan growled at me.
I shrugged and said, “At least another ten minutes.”
Logan glared at me, drumming his fingers against the table for the entire seven minutes and twenty-three seconds until my phone rang. I was having a hard time keeping a straight face as I answered, smiling at Logan.
“The cops’ missing person system has been hacked,” Jerry informed me.
“Really?” I asked, sitting up straighter. Jerry had tagged along with the brothers after hearing about the shackles we had found.
“The missing person reports that Blake found don’t even show up on their end,” Jerry informed me. I heard the clicking of keys in the background.
“That would explain a lot,” I muttered.
“It also means someone is on the take on the inside,” Logan said, slamming his fist against the table and storming out of the room.
“He is right,” Jerry said.
I sighed. “Yep, he sure is,” I groaned, standing. “I’ll be out in a second.” I ended the call following the hot headed kitty.
Darren followed me out, but we didn’t get far as Logan was facing off with several detectives and uniformed officers in the hallway blocking my progress.
A white-faced clerk came up behind us, taking the scene in. “Hi, is there a way around this?” I asked waving my hand in the general vicinity of overcharged testosterone.
He shook his head, eyes still glued to the shifter on the edge.
“Thanks,” I responded, turning back to the scene shoving out the air in my lungs.