The Wrath of Pan (The Inglewood Chronicles Book 2)

by Jeremy Croston

  “It is very nice to meet you.” He stuck his hand out for her to shake.

  “Quiet and very formal, a good combination.” Her hand lingered on his a little longer than the normal handshake should.

  “Rissa, how ‘bout the three of us go inside? We can tell you a bit about what we found and maybe see if anything jogs your memory.”

  “Of course. I just put on a pot of coffee too if either of you are interested?”

  “I would love a cup of coffee!” That got Gregory out of his shell. “I was worried that tea would be the only thing I would find in this city.”

  “Not here love. I get this stuff straight from the source, Seattle, Washington.”

  Oh great. “That is where I am from! What do you have brewing?”

  “Colombian dark roast with a touch of hazelnut.”

  I started tuning them out. I hate coffee and with these two acting like high schoolers, I started to second guess my decision. I needed her to concentrate on the crime, not coffee. We went in and I sat quietly while they drank their cups and talked about the complexities of the brew. It was worse than watching paint dry.

  After they finished, at least Gregory had the decency to change the subject. “As you know, Victor and I are investigating the odd murders that have been happening.”

  She looked at him, right in the eyes. “Yeah, that’s what he said.”

  Her voice sounded off, dreamy in fact. “Let your memories take over. Is there anything your mind saw that it may not have understood?”

  Her eyes started to glaze over. “Is she in a trance?”

  “Yes, but please be quiet, it may break the connection.”

  I took a step back and watched. As Rissa’s eyes went in and out of focus, I began to get worried. Then they came back and she started talking. “The night Emily died; a young boy came into the club by himself. He said he needed to find someone and Emily helped him. Eventually the young boy gave up his search and left. On the way out, he looked at me and his eyes went red.”

  “Son of a bitch, that’s one of Pan’s Lost Boys, isn’t it?”

  “Victor, keep quiet.” He went back to Rissa. “What else can you tell me?”

  “The bouncers warned a few of us about a strange man in a hooded sweatshirt. We’re warned five or six times a night about certain men, so they all start blending together. The man kept to himself at the end of the bar.”

  She pointed to where he was sitting. It was near the side exit door that Emily had used that night.

  “He left shortly before closing; probably a few moments before Emily took the ice to dump it.”

  Gregory took her hand in his. “You are doing well Rissa. I know this is the painful part, but this could be where the biggest clues are.”

  “”When Tommy came in and told us Emily had been attacked, we were all in shock. I fell to the floor crying.” She pointed to the spot where she did. She was next to a table. “As I was crying, those red eyes returned. A voice in the back of my mind told me I’d forget all the details. From that point on I knew my friend had died, but nothing more.”

  She was talking as fast as I could write. This was all new information and it was seriously worth the coffee nonsense from earlier to get. I wished I had the skills to pull off such interrogations, but mind control ain’t a werewolf trick.

  “You told my friend Victor you suspected this could be supernatural. Why do you think that?”

  She shuddered, as if remembering something even more terrible. “Those eyes, I can feel them on me. They’re the last thing I see when I fall asleep and the first thing I remember when I wake up.”

  “Rissa, do you ever feel anything like a pinch or even a bite?”

  “Sometimes I wake up with a bruise of my shoulder. It feels like I’ve been punched or something.”

  Walking around her, I looked and near her collar, I saw the greenish hue of a bruise that was healing. “Definitely looks like she’s taken a hit.”

  Gregory on the other hand looked angry. There was an eerie calm about him, almost like a volcano that might blow at any moment.

  He moved to observe the markings. “She has not been hit. This girl is no longer safe; we must escort her back to the house.”

  “Gregory, I doubt that Rod or John will be thrilled with a human so close by, especially under the circumstances.”

  He waved me off. “You let me deal with them. This girl has started the turning process. That bruise is from a vampire’s bite, not a punch. If whoever did this is allowed to continue, she will eventually become a vampire or even die.”

  I felt sick to my stomach. “Are you sure?”

  “I have sired a few vampires in my long life, all by consent, never by force. The sick bastard doing this is playing with chance.”

  “Not to be an idiot in the ways of the batty ones, but what’s going to happen?”

  He looked over and pulled the collar down far enough to see the bite marks. “When a vampire starts the turning process, you have to do it a little at a time to give the human’s body time to react. If you just go about it your own way and the body rejects the process, the human will die.”

  “How far along is our girl here?”

  He examined the area closely. “She may be too far in the process. Time will tell and I am not about to give one of Pan’s minions the opportunity to finish the job.”

  “Can you keep her under until we get back? This might be easier to explain with Liz as back up?”

  He nodded. “Help me get her to the car. I will do my best to make this as comfortable for her as possible.”

  Chapter 17

  I met Liz in the kitchen while Gregory tended to Rissa. “I’m so glad to see you.” I leaned in and gave her a big old kiss. “This has been one messed up day.”

  The kiss caught her by surprise, but I could tell she enjoyed it. “I am happy to see you too. You know, you can display affections on a more regular basis.”

  “I just didn’t want to cause waves between me and your brother. I didn’t know how he’ handle you having a werewolf boyfriend.”

  “Jonathan dallies around with much worse than werewolves, I can assure you.” I had no idea what that meant. “Where are Gregory and the girl?”

  “Upstairs, in the room I was staying in. Listen, before we go up, I want to run something by you.”

  “Is there something wrong?”

  “No, not like that.” I didn’t know how to word this, so I just blurted it out. “I think Gregory’s got the hots for this girl.”

  If the kiss was a surprise, this revelation was a freaking grenade. “I do not even know what to say. How did you jump to this conclusion?”

  “I’m a guy, I know how guys act around girls they like. It was almost like an instant connection between the two of them.”

  I thought Liz would either get gossipy or find this funny, but she didn’t. Instead she looked almost sad. “Gregory is a gentle soul and if what you are saying is true, then that is good for him.”

  “Did something bad, besides his parents you know, happen to him?”

  “It has been years, but Gregory’s wife Dru was killed in action. They had been together for hundreds of years and her death sent him spiraling into a self induced exile. Only over the last year or so has he really come out more and been involved with others.”

  I felt bad for teasing my buddy. “What happened?”

  “That is a story for another time.” She saw my face go sour. “I only ask you to hold off because it will take proper explanation as the events that happened to this day are still confusing to me.”

  “That bad huh?”

  “You have no idea. All I can say is if you ever receive a call from the Sisters, Oregon Police Department, just hang up.”

  “Never heard of the town, but I’m with ya. If you say something bad is brewing there, then that’s off-limits to me.”

  That finally got a grin. “Thank you for informing me of this beforehand.” She took my hand. “Let us go see h
ow are new friend is doing.”

  When we entered the room, Rissa was awake and no longer under Gregory’s vampire hypnotism. She waved at me when we walked in. “Victor, Gregory said you were here too! What happened to me? Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is alright; we just brought you here for your own protection. Some of the new information we discovered suggested you might be in some trouble.”

  Liz walked over and offered her a hand. “My name is Elizabeth and I am Victor’s boss. I am glad to see you are doing well Rissa.”

  As she shook her hand, “Your hand is quite cold. You may want to get some gloves for that.”

  “Gloves are a wonderful fashion statement, but alas they do nothing to keep my hands warm.” She placed her hand on the injured shoulder. “Does this hurt?”

  “Yeah, my shoulder’s been bothering me for a few days. But how did you know?”

  “May I examine it first before I make any speculations?”

  Rissa gave her consent and Liz pulled the shirt down to take in the bruise totally. I couldn’t really see what she was doing, out of privacy for Rissa, but based on her eyes, I don’t think it was good.

  “My dear, I am sorry that I am the one to tell you this, but your injury is quite serious.”

  “Will I be okay?” She looked at Gregory, who did his best to look optimistic.

  Liz leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Gregory closed his eyes and sighed. “Rissa, this may be a bit tough to hear, but unless something is done soon, you may very well die.”

  Her face dropped and tears started forming in the corners of her eyes. I had to step in. “Damnit people, think a little bit before you talk. Give the girl her options cuz no one is dying on my watch.”

  Gregory got down on a knee in front of her. “This is going to sound impossible, but a vampire has been feeding on you.”

  “Good lord man, you don’t open with that… get out of the way.” I pushed him away and got down by Rissa. “Listen, a bunch of stuff is about to be said that ain’t going to make a whole lot of sense. Don’t freak out on me, okay? Listen to what they say and when they finish, ask all the questions you want.”

  She was still upset, but I think our little act actually made her smile. I got up and gestured for Gregory to take over.

  “Sorry about being a bit blunt. When you are as old as I am, you kind of forget some things.”

  “That’s okay. You’re really cute when you’re embarrassed though.” Oh man, they were going at it again.

  Gregory smiled but quickly went back to being serious. “Like I said, you have been fed on by a vampire numerous times. When that happens, the siring process begins. Judging by the marks on your back, you are pretty far along. At this point, it would be in your best interest to complete the process.”

  “Rissa,” Liz got down close to them, “this is the hard part. We can finish the process for you, but there is no guarantee. The other option is we do nothing and soon your body will break down and you will pass away peacefully.”

  She looked over at me. “I’m a werewolf; I don’t know half of what they’re talking about.”

  “That’s why you’re after the killer. He’s a werewolf too, isn’t he?”

  “You’re pretty sharp. Yeah, he’s one of my kind and a dangerous one. He feeds on humans and it’s turning him feral. If he ain’t stopped soon, there’s no telling what kinda damage he’ll cause.”

  “Why me though? Why did this vampire pick me?”

  I remembered the story she told while under. “Probably because he saw you the night at the bar and picked you to be his target. I wish I could say it’s something grand or something but a predator picks his opportunities.”

  She turned back to the two vampires. “You said there was no guarantee in turning me, what did you mean?”

  “If a vampire is not careful in the turning process, the human’s body can become overwhelmed and shut down. Gregory and I are both elders and if one of us were to take over, the chances would be greatly improved.”

  “Guys, this isn’t a choice she’s gotta make right now, does she? This is pretty deep.”

  I could tell Liz wished it was so. “Victor, the girl is lucky that she has made it this far. The sooner she decides the more hope I can assure her of.” The whole situation pissed me off, but this was their thing and not mine.

  “It’s okay Victor, I know what I want to do.” She took Gregory’s hand again. “Will you do it? Will you take care of me?”

  He stood up and brought her in close to him. “Yes, I will do it. I will make sure you live to see another night.”

  Chapter 18

  “She is resting. We will know within the day if the siring process was a success.”

  John was with us, the three of us had been sitting outside the room. It was like we were waiting for the doctor to give us the verdict of the surgery. Gregory looked tired as he came out of the room. He’d been in there for quite some time.

  I got right to the point, “So what happens next?”

  “If the change is successful, then Rissa will be a vampire. It will be as if she just took a very long nap.”

  I hated to ask. “And if not?”

  “She will pass away, quietly and painlessly.” His voice was barely audible.

  “I am sure everything will be okay Gregory, you know what you are doing.”

  “I wish I had your confidence Elizabeth, but whoever started the process was sloppy and careless. I do not think they were even trying, just toying with the young lady.”

  John hadn’t said all that much. When we told him what’d been going on, he seemed pretty taken back. Even as he sat here with us, he didn’t add much. I got the feeling he was hiding something.

  While Liz and Gregory were talking about Rissa, I motioned for John to follow me out of ear shot. “Something’s bothering you and I’d like to know what.”

  “I am that obvious, am I?”

  “I’m a trained investigator plus my senses would make some super heroes jealous. Your paler than normal, which is amazing because you’re a vampire and you keep fidgeting with your hands.”

  He laughed at me. “My sister said you could be a bit on the abrasive side, but I do give you credit for being entertaining.” He looked back at the other two before continuing. “I cannot say with any doubts, but in my mind this is Pan’s work. I worry the girl may be working for him.”

  “That’s a pretty slippery slope to jump down. What gives you that idea?”

  “The sloppy work, the choice in targets, all of it makes me nervous.”

  Nothing about Rissa gave me any doubts, but this guy was also a lot older than me. “I’ll keep an eye on her okay? I found her and it’ll be my responsibility to keep us all safe.”

  “Thank you Victor. If you could, please keep this conversation between us until we know for sure. Gregory is smitten and my sister has no tact. We do not need to spook an innocent girl or a possible spy.”

  I didn’t like keeping things from Liz. “Trust me with this. You need to focus on Pan and what the hell is going on with Rod.”

  “Okay, I will. Please keep me informed with anything you find, okay?”

  I looked over and Gregory had a smile on his face. Knowing what I knew of his past, I hoped John’s suspicions weren’t right. “Yeah, I can do that.”

  ****

  The night had been a long one. Gregory checked on the girl regularly while Liz and I tried our best to rest. I fell asleep for awhile, maybe two hours, but woke up after having a pretty awful nightmare.

  “Vic, you are sweating! Are you okay?”

  “I’m good, just a bit of a bad dream, that’s all.”

  She rubbed my back with her cool hand. It felt really good. “Tell me, what was it about?”

  “The night we faced off with Tucker out in the desert. Billy was there, trying to get to us for help but one of those big green dudes chased him down and killed him. As he lay on the sand, his eyes just looked at me like I let hi
m down.”

  The death of my best friend was one thing I hadn’t even come close to getting over. To make matters worse, I felt like I disrespected his memory by getting a new best friend in Reno.

  “You cannot allow yourself to keep taking the blame for his death, their deaths!” Liz was referring to Talia. Me, her, and Billy were close.

  “I wish we had the chance to talk to Tucker one last time. I still don’t understand why he did the things he did to us.”

  Liz didn’t share my opinion. “A human like that was too dangerous. Even though Baron Forte killed him in such a manner that is disgraceful, the world is a better place without him.”

  “We got rid of Tucker and gained Pan.” I wanted to tell her what John had said. “Do you want to come with me to the kitchen? I think a sandwich would take my mind off things.”

  I think she thought I was being serious (I actually was, a sandwich works miracles) but then she caught on. “Yeah, a little walk would do us some good.”

  The hallways were dark and quiet. To my knowledge no one outside our little group was staying here. “Do you know what happened to the witch?”

  “When she recovered from her hangover, Jonathan took her to see Roderick. As far as I know, she has not returned.”

  We entered the kitchen and Liz shut the door. “Don’t you think it’s a bit odd that Rod wanted her over here so badly? I mean, she is dangerous Liz and we let her out of our sight!”

  “I do not like it either. Until we can determine if this Scythe is real, the witch is a liability.”

  I opened the fridge and grabbed a few things. “That’s not what I brought you down here for. John thinks the girl, Rissa, is a plant.”

  “The human? Why?”

  “He said the sloppy work looked like something Pan would do. He wondered if the girl was actually working for him.”

  Liz sat down and put her hands together. “It is a stretch, but I can see where he is coming from. Why did he not share this to me?”

  “He said you were too blunt and might scare the girl.” A half smirk broke across her face. “He wants me to investigate her, but I think he’s wrong. I don’t get that vibe from her.”