They made their way to the staff quarters, where Athena was just exiting one of the communal lounge areas. Though it was well past midnight, the deceptively powerful Magus was dressed in a neat business suit with her long, blonde hair pulled neatly into a ponytail. Perfect make-up and cream pumps with half-inch heels completed her ensemble.
“What have you found out?” Byron asked her.
“Well,” she gave the others a slight nod of greeting, but her face was as grim as Byron’s, “he’s not lying as far as we can tell, and the Healer is pretty sure there is some kind of drug in his system. Of course, she can’t tell exactly what drug it is, but possibly rohypnol or something similar.”
“The date-rape drug?” Gabi asked in surprise.
Athena nodded. “Yes, the last thing the guard remembers is drinking a cup of coffee. Rohypnol is easy to slip into a drink, and it would explain his loss of memory and confusion.”
“Where did he get the cup of coffee?” Kyle asked.
“That’s one of the things he can’t remember,” Athena answered. “He has vague memories of someone bringing it to him, but he can’t recall who it was. Though we would assume it was someone familiar enough not to raise his suspicions.” She sighed. “I’m calling in a Magus friend who might be able to help his recall, but for now, that’s as much as we can help you with.”
“That’s more than enough, Athena. Thank you,” Byron told her.
Kyle moved towards the room and stuck his head in the door. He was back with them a moment later.
“Yep, that’s one of the Shape-shifter scents,” he told them. “If we can track down the Werewolf who discovered the escape, then we have everyone accounted for except the second Shape-shifter.”
“He should be back in the kitchens,” Byron said, already heading back towards the elevator. “I told him to stay there. With the lock-down in place, nobody can leave.”
Gabi could tell that this event had affected Byron worse than he was letting on. This was the place he and her father had built to house and protect the members of the SMV. It was a kind of sanctuary. It had never been designed as a secure compound, for all the protective wards and security measures. The safety of HQ relied on the integrity and loyalty of the people who came and went through its doors. For someone to have broken the trust of this place and the people within it would be a blow to Byron’s faith in the people around him.
They passed a few people on their way, and Gabi was amused to see every one of them take a slightly wider berth around Fergus than the rest of them. He was so quiet and stealthy, without actually trying to be, that he gave a couple of them a start when they finally realised he was there. Gabi wondered if this was the first time a Vampire had walked these halls. Quite possibly, as when it came to rogue Vampires, she’d only ever seen kill orders handed out. It was considered too dangerous to try to capture one. It was likely that things were about to change on that front, she thought, if Julius decided to get involved on the Council. With Vampire back-up, they would be able to capture rogues for questioning. That could make life much more interesting. They banged through the kitchen doors and found a handful of the kitchen staff sitting around on stools and counters. They jumped to attention when they saw Byron.
“Michael,” Byron called, and a young, slightly scruffy man in torn denims and a black T-shirt stepped forward.
Kyle closed his eyes briefly and inhaled. Gabi wondered if she looked like that when she was scanning for supernaturals. If she did, it was time to stop—he looked like an idiot.
“Yep, that’s the Werewolf who was in the cell,” Kyle said. “The other Shape-shifter isn’t here.”
Byron nodded and began to escort them back towards his office. “I’ll have to do a bit of investigation to find out who else was here during the timeframe, and we’ll try to narrow it down from there. The chance of whoever it was still being here is slim, so I’m going to let everyone head home now. The Werewolf is gone, and he didn’t escape on his own, so we have to assume he’s been taken by whoever is creating these rogues. Hopefully, they’ll keep him from hurting anyone tonight. We can figure out the rest tomorrow.”
Just as they approached his outer office, the phone rang. Byron reached to answer it from Hazel’s desk; she worked normal office hours, so Byron was his own secretary if he was in his office at night.
“Ian,” Byron said with obvious affection. “Oh, sorry, I must have left it in my office,” he said, patting his pockets. “There’s been a bit of a problem here, and I was running around trying to sort it out.” There was a pause as he listened. Gabi, Kyle and Fergus could all hear what Ian was telling him. “Okay, I’ll send someone right away. They’ll contact you when they’re almost there. Keep him in isolation until then.”
“Damn, the good news just keeps coming,” Gabi said sarcastically as Byron put down the phone.
“You heard?” he asked them.
“Another Werewolf attack, this time ending up in the City Hospital,” she confirmed. “Thank the Lord and Lady for small miracles like Ian. Don’t worry, we’ll go get him.” She patted Byron on the arm as she turned to follow Kyle and Fergus. “Keep us posted, and be careful, we’ll be back soon.”
“Take one of the secure vans and some back-up,” he called after them.
It was a tense atmosphere in the van. Gabi let Kyle drive while she called Ian to get more details. It turned out the guy had been found by joggers out for a late-night run in one of the local parks. It was assumed he’d been attacked by a pack of dogs; he’d been in the hospital for a couple of hours before he came to Ian’s attention. One look at his wounds had told Ian that it wasn’t a simple dog attack. The man was luckily unconscious and had already started a mild fever.
“You don’t have to hang around with us anymore, you know,” she told Fergus when she finished the call to Ian. “This guy isn’t going to be a danger to anyone except himself for a couple of days.”
Fergus actually smiled, a gesture that pulled the thick, shiny scar running across his face in macabre and gruesome ways. “No, lassie, I’ll be comin’ along fer the ride. My Lord will no’ be thankin’ me for leavin’ ye unprotected,” he told her.
Gabi sighed. “Fergus, you’re supposed to be part of our crew to help catch Werewolves, not to be my personal protection,” she said firmly.
Fergus gave an amused snort. “I could be lyin’ to yer face and agree with ye, lass, but it’s no’ my style. Ye might as well get used te the idea.” Under the façade of mirth there was a deadly serious edge to his words.
Gabi took a deep breath and counted to ten. Several times. It was pointless yelling at Fergus, but she and Julius would be having a chat before the night was over.
“Cut the man a little slack, lass,” he rumbled when she finally had her temper under control. A retort sprang to her lips, but he continued. “If ye were in his shoes, now, wouldn’t ye be tempted te do the same?”
She wanted to argue with him, but if she denied feeling protective of Julius, she’d be the one lying this time. So instead, she sat stewing and fuming in silence.
“We’re here,” Kyle announced in relief.
The caramel latte was like ambrosia when it hit her tongue. She groaned aloud in pleasure at the first sip, then handed the cup over to Fergus in the passenger seat while she changed gears. As soon as she was at speed, she took it back. The new Werewolf victim was safely housed at HQ, and the Shape-shifter guard had been replaced by a Werewolf guard, who’d be harder to drug. Though the rogues only seemed to be interested in their victims once they had actually Changed, so this one should be safe for a few days. The whole situation was unfathomable.
Thank the Lord and Lady for late-night hours at Starbucks. She and Kyle had hit the café on their way to the Estate. Kyle was following them in his van and could’ve just headed home, but he claimed to want to check on Derek. Gabi had a feeling it was more Trish that he wanted to be checking on, but she reined in the teasing for once. Trish was a huge step up from his
usual choices. He had a habit of dating completely unsuitable women, then spending weeks lamenting his bad decision, only to make a similar one days later. Males, she grumbled to herself, breaking off a piece of fresh blueberry muffin to stuff into her mouth.
“So are you my only babysitter, or is there a roster?” she asked Fergus between mouthfuls.
The Vampire’s mouth moved like he was trying to hide a smile. “I ken ye’re young, but I hadna thought of ye as a babe,” he countered.
Gabi rolled her eyes. “Just answer the question,” she growled.
“Ye’ll probably be seein’ a lot of me,” he admitted. “If not me, then Marcello.”
“Great,” she muttered. “What did the two of you do to pull babysitting duty?”
A laugh rumbled up from the Vampire’s chest. “We be te best at what we do, lass,” he told her and then added with a wink, “and neither of us mind a bit o’ action and excitement. We’ll be havin’ a great time spinning yarns about the time when we were back-up te Angeli Morte ’erself.”
Gabi glared at the Vampire sideways, but it was mostly show. It was hard to be mad at Fergus. The guards at the gate waved them through, and Gabi pulled the Mustang up outside the front of the mansion, leaving it parked where she knew it would most annoy Maximilian. Usually she’d park it out of the way in the parking spaces alongside the main house. There was an underground garage that Julius and his Clan used, but that required a remote access card. She made sure she took the keys with her.
Fergus glanced at her shrewdly. “You know he could tip it over on its roof?” he asked, eyeing the sports car with amusement.
“He knows he’ll be working as janitor for a lower-end motel for the rest of his immortal existence if he dares to touch it,” she said archly.
Fergus threw back his head and laughed. “Lass,” he finally said when he’d caught his breath, “ye are the most interestin’ thing to happen to this Clan fer many a year.” With that, he ghosted away into the dark.
Julius was on a phone call, and Alexander was typing on a laptop at the opulent dining room table.
“When did you learn how to use a computer?” she asked him from the doorway on her way to the bar. He flipped her the bird but continued working without looking up.
“While you’re in there, be a good girl and pour me a bourbon,” he said and then added, “and don’t spit in it,” as she sauntered off.
Julius joined her in the large entertainment room a few minutes later. He didn’t comment on the bourbon and ice in a cheap plastic cup standing on the bar counter, but reached for one of the crystal glasses of red wine and held it under his nose, savouring the bouquet.
“Did you have a fruitful evening?” he asked, joining her on a leather sofa.
“Not really,” she replied. “But I’m sure my babysitter can tell you all about it.”
He wasn’t looking at her, but rather studying the ruby colour of the pinotage in his glass against the light. A muscle twitched in his cheek, and he schooled his mouth into a thoughtful pout rather than a smile.
“Hmm,” he mused, “what makes you think he hasn’t already?” Then he looked at her, a rueful smile cracking through. “You do realise you’ve just cost me a new car?” he asked her. Just then Alexander appeared in the room and gave a whoop.
“Excellent,” he enthused. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down, Hellcat. I think I’m gonna get a Ferrari.” His appreciation lost a little of its shine once he picked up the cup of bourbon. He stared at it for several seconds, swirling it and listening to the dull clunks the ice made against the plastic, then shook his head and took a sip. He looked thoughtful as he ran the whiskey around inside his mouth, then he swallowed and went to take a seat opposite Gabi and Julius, nursing the cup as though it were made of Wedgewood crystal.
“You bet Alexander a car that I wouldn’t work out Fergus was my bodyguard?” she asked, disbelief clear.
“No, actually, Alexander said you’d figure it out the first night, I thought it would take more than one night,” Julius admitted.
Gabi decided not to let on that Fergus had given the game away. It would be her private revenge that his presumption cost him an expensive car.
“What, no yelling and screaming, Hellcat?” Alexander asked.
“No,” she said calmly.
“Oh, Sire,” Alexander said to Julius, “I think you’re in deep shit. I’d feel better if there was yelling and screaming. Maybe we should put the knife and sword collection into the safe for a few days.”
Julius just grinned. “Oh, I’m sure Gabrielle has some suitable revenge planned, but it won’t be a direct attack. Will it, my Lea?” he asked her.
Her eyes just glittered with the promise of wicked retribution.
“Tell me about Jason King,” she said.
They both looked at her, mystified by the change in topic.
“The business man and self-proclaimed celebrity?” Alexander asked.
Gabi filled them in on what Byron had told her about the man stonewalling him and Olivia on the City Council. When she finished, there was silence for long seconds as the two men looked intently at each other, Alexander shrugged, and Julius then nodded.
“Argh, will you two cut out the Siamese twins act,” she snarled.
The two Vampires had known each other so long that they could practically have whole conversations without saying a word. It was one of the most annoying habits Gabi had ever had the misfortune to encounter.
“Jason King wasn’t born Jason King,” Julius said. “His surname used to be Sweeney.”
Gabi’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“An associate of ours knew his father, Howard Sweeney, now deceased.” Alexander took up the story. “He was an underground gun runner. One of the most notorious arms smugglers of his day.” He downed the last of the bourbon in his plastic cup. “While Jason seems to have gone legit, it’s obvious where he got his financial start. We only know of Jason King’s true identity because of the information we had about his father.”
“Howard was the head of one of the City’s most notorious crime families.” Julius put in. “A real Godfather type.”
“And once in the business, always in the business,” Gabi said, standing and beginning to pace the room. “What has Byron done that’s tweaked this twerp’s nose?”
“It’s possible he’s taken over his father’s business and is running it on the side. Maybe Byron did something that affected his ‘family’ business,” Alexander suggested. “One thing I’ve heard is that he’s the vengeful type. He is of the opinion that a slight against him or his family has to be paid back in full and with interest. He can be a real bastard.”
“Hmm,” Gabi mused, “I guess that is a possibility. I’ll pass that info on to Byron. Maybe he can dig up more with the man’s true identity.”
“We have some info that may be more relevant to the Werewolf problems,” Alexander said.
Gabi stopped pacing, the Jason King problem forgotten in an instant.
Julius continued. “After discussing the information that Ian gave us about the group seeking information on Werewolves, Alexander reminded me that Sebastian had found something similar a few months ago. This kind of thing crops up fairly regularly over the years. Sometimes it’s a victim who’s been left to fend for themselves, but sometimes it’s humans trying to out us. If it’s in my jurisdiction, we track them down and deal with the problem. Otherwise, we pass the information on to the Princeps to deal with. Sebastian was working on tracking the group, but they were very good at hiding their tracks, dividing the work between various accounts with false name trails. He hadn’t been able to find anything concrete, but it was really a spare time kind of thing. It didn’t seem urgent at the time. Jonathon caught up with us earlier to say that there’ve been more requests for information from that group trying to find out what kills and sedates Werewolves. They’re now looking for data on exactly how the virus can be spread.”
Gabi felt an icy han
d run slowly up her spine, lifting the tiny hairs on the back of her neck.
“You think it’s the same group Sebastian was investigating?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“It’s seems logical,” Julius agreed. “These groups, the really serious ones, don’t pop up all that often. We’ve learnt to spot the signs of one that could be dangerous, and this lot is sending up every red flag in the book.”
“Yeah,” Alexander agreed, “it’s too much to write it off as coincidental. There’s got to be more to this. We’ll keep digging. If there are any breakthroughs, I’ll let you know.” He left a few minutes later, having refilled his plastic cup with bourbon and raising it with a smirk in Gabi’s direction.
Gabi had been toying with broaching a nagging, but delicate subject with Julius. She knew she needed to do it sooner rather than later, but asking for help was never easy for her and admitting a weakness was a hairsbreadth from impossible. She gritted her teeth and took the plunge.
“I need your help with something,” she told Julius. This was going to be hard to say out loud. She made a concerted effort to stop fidgeting and face him. His face was impassive, patient, but she could see the intrigue in his eyes. “I need to work on my…problem,” she finally mumbled. “The anxiety attack…thing.” She saw the understanding dawn in his eyes. She rushed on. “It occurred to me tonight that it could be a serious risk to me and my team if that happens in a dangerous situation. We need to fix it.”
“Fix it? This isn’t something you can apply a wrench and some tape to, Lea,” he warned. “Are you sure I’m the right person to be helping you with this? Wouldn’t a trained counsellor be a better idea?”
“NO,” she said vehemently. “No one else can know.” Panic filled her at the thought.
Chapter 12
“All right,” he agreed soothingly.
She forced herself into a modicum of calm.
All Hell Breaks Loose (The Hellcat Series) Page 15