by Judith Post
"A player?"
"A love 'em and leave 'em type. He's strictly skimming the surface, a shallow swimmer."
"Where did you learn all this stuff?"
She smiled. "Before I met you, I slept in a hidey spot in an abandoned house. Kids used it as a hang out to smoke marijuana. I listened."
Before Enoch could answer, a new man came to join the boyfriend at his table. He was built like a bull, his small features lost in a beefy face. Enoch looked at his hands and feet, surprised at their tiny size for such a massive body.
"Donato!" the boyfriend sprang to his feet to welcome his friend. He motioned for a waitress to bring them more drinks.
"Gino." Donato waited for the waitress to leave a bottle of whiskey in the center of the table before he leaned forward and began talking in a low voice.
Both Enoch and Voronika strained to listen. Each could hear what humans couldn't, but not with all the background noise of the bar.
Voronika sighed. "They picked a good place to meet. No one can listen in, but I say Danny's right, and the boyfriend's the killer who's been hanging out in Three Rivers. That makes his buddy another vampire hunter. We could take out both of them before they reach their cars. End of problem."
"We don't know that," Enoch said. "We don't have any proof."
"They look like crooks."
Enoch had to agree. The two men dressed and acted like mobsters in movies. And their names? Gino and Donato. Almost typecast. But it wasn't fair to judge people by looks and nationality. "We can still only act in self-defense," he reminded her. "Or to protect someone in battle."
"More the pity." She finished the last of her Drambuie and Enoch motioned for a refill. Before it came, she grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "If we have to stay here to baby sit, we might as well have fun." She waited for Enoch to toss money on the table and they headed to the dance floor.
By the time Andy gave the last call two hours later, Enoch had worked up a sweat. Voronika was as cool as ever. "It's a good thing vamps don't get overheated," he told her. "The rest of us are beginning to smell a little ripe."
"Ambrosia to me." She'd moved on to Bloody Marys and gulped down the last of her drink. "Watching two Italian hit men makes me hungry."
Enoch raised his eyebrows. "You're lucky you're still sober."
"Vamps never get drunk. Tipsy maybe." She licked her lips and nodded at Gino's open shirt. Sweat beaded at the base of his neck. "It's legal for us to drink the mean and depraved."
"Not in Three Rivers, and you know it. It's not smart anyway. Even if they are hunters, they're just hired hands. We'll learn more if we tail them, maybe find out who sent them."
She pushed herself to her feet. "Let's go. We'll wait in the car to follow them." On their walk to the Land Rover, she leaned heavily against Enoch.
He shook his head, amused. "Is this an act? In case the hit men are watching? I like this new, clingy you, but the drinks haven't bothered you, so why the support?"
"I'm in a good mood. And I'm a little bit horny." Once in the car, she wedged herself between him and the steering wheel and gave him a long, deep kiss. "They haven't come out yet. They must be waiting for Kandice to get off work. We have a few minutes to play." Her hand slid down between his legs.
Alcohol didn't bother him either, but her touch sure did. So did her nearness. His hands went under her snug tee. "I've got to buy you Bloody Marys more often."
"Or dance with me and get me all hot and bothered."
"You're not hot."
"But I am bothered." Voronika undid the buttons on his shirt and lowered her head.
Her lips seared his flesh. His body responded, coiled, ready for more. Enoch unclasped her bra and cupped her breasts. Her skin was smooth to the touch. He skimmed his hand over her firm abdomen, the curve of her waist, ready for more when Gino and Kandice crossed the parking lot and climbed into a silver Audi.
"Damn." Enoch pulled free of her. "A silver Audi. He is our hunter. We have to go."
Panting, she pushed herself to the passenger's side of the car. "I don't like anything about Gino. He's a spoil sport." She reached behind her and hooked her bra again before readjusting her clothes.
Enoch started the Land Rover's engine and turned on the air conditioner full force. "I need to cool off." He put his foot on the gas pedal to follow Gino's car just as Donato walked out of the club and went to a sleek, black Buick. Enoch waited. Donato pulled to the curb at the club's door, letting the engine idle. Soon, a third man came out and climbed in beside him.
"There's three of them." Enoch scribbled down the license plates of both cars, then flipped open his cell phone and called Danny's number. No answer, so he left a message.
"Divide and conquer?" Voronika asked. "You take the Minotaur and his sidekick, and I'll follow the boyfriend and Kandice?"
"If you promise not to snack on him." It was a joke. They both knew it. Voronika worked hard not to drink humans. But when Voronika stepped from the car, a shadowy blur leapt from the nightclub's roof and dropped down beside her.
Hand raised, Enoch was between her and the new vampire before either could react.
"Whoa!" The vampire took a step back. "I'm a friend."
"How do I know that?"
He motioned to the two cars driving away. "I've been watching Gino too. I know you're working with Bart."
Enoch watched the cars' taillights disappear in the darkness. "Should we…?"
"Follow them?" The vampire shook his head. "They'll be back tomorrow night or the night after that. They're regulars. We'll catch them later."
Enoch narrowed his eyes, studying him. "I've seen you somewhere before."
"No, I've heard of you, but we've never met."
"The human who got staked—he looked almost exactly like you."
"I didn't mean to put an innocent in danger. I just needed a safe place to hide for a while."
Enoch still wasn't satisfied. He didn't trust an unknown vampire any more than he trusted Gino. "A human killed Victor, and another tried to stake Gunther. Why would a vampire come after you?"
"No human could get to my hiding place. Will you take me to Bart or not?"
Enoch scowled. Even if Keb was a traitor, what would it hurt to take him to their base? They wanted to be found. And no vampire was a threat to him. He gave a quick nod. "Let's go."
When Enoch reached the house, he motioned for Voronika to enter it first. "Go warn the others. Tell them we brought company." Then he walked behind her with Keb, staying close to his side. If the vampire made a move, he'd be dust. But when the other vampires saw Keb, they went quiet.
Bart stood and held out a hand. "It's been a long time."
Claudia stood, too. "Thank you for coming." So did Nula. "Friend, welcome." Enoch rarely saw a vampire treated with so much respect. Elijah said nothing, merely held out a hand. Eva quickly threw her arms around Keb, then just as quickly withdrew, nervous that she'd offended him. He smiled to put her at ease.
"Can we get you anything?" Nula asked. "Food? Wine?"
Enoch had never seen Nula offer to serve anyone. She sure as hell had never served him.
"It can wait," Keb said. "I have news."
Once they were seated in the living room, Keb said, "You need to know what you're up against. Okon, Ragnar, and Yerik have banded together to replace Caleb."
Icy chills flowed through Enoch's veins. "All three of them?" The oldest, most powerful vampires created, the first Caleb had turned.
"Working together?" Bart and Claudia exchanged glances. So did the others.
"They've joined with humans," Keb added, "but you probably already know that."
Amado shrugged. “Humans are of little significance. Once their service is no longer required, their masters will dispose of them.”
"But they might stake us first." Nula leveled a glare his way.
Troubled, Bart steepled his fingers. The room went quiet.
Voronika stood, hands on hips. She glared at
the other vampires. “Caleb sired them. He should deal with them.”
Enoch turned to Keb. "Is that why you came here instead of going to Caleb's fortress?"
"It would have been awkward for me to visit him."
Before Enoch could ask about that, Claudia pushed herself to her feet, too, and began pacing. "We're no match for the big three, but we have Enoch."
Enoch blinked. She sounded like she was trying to convince herself, more than the others, that his help was enough.
Keb turned an appraising glance his way. "True, even Okon, Ragnar, and Yerik fear him.”
Bart straightened in his seat, his shoulders squared. “That's why they've moved so fast. They meant to eliminate us before Enoch realized what was happening."
"He's why I came to Three Rivers." Keb looked around the house, at the metal grids and the generals assembled together. "I knew they didn't want to alert him."
Eva cradled her crystal ball in her lap. She didn’t look into it for answers. Instead, she rubbed it gently to comfort herself.
"And is there a reason you didn't alert me?" Bart's voice sounded harsh.
"Rumor was that some of the generals were fed up with Caleb and switched sides."
Bart stared, stunned. "And you believed that?"
"No, but I thought some might be straddling sides. I wasn't sure whom to trust."
Elijah gripped his Torah. "But why start a war? Caleb never bothers the big three. They have an unwritten truce. None of them interferes in one another's business."
"Because things got out of hand.” Keb looked directly at Enoch. “After you killed Vlad, the big three mocked and ridiculed Caleb."
Amado stared. "They'd ridicule their master? He sired them. He’s never set them free.”
"They hate that. They resent Caleb. They finally had a way to retaliate, to belittle him, and wouldn't leave it alone."
"Like rubbing salt in a fresh wound," Nula said. "Celts know when to hold their tongues."
"They pushed too far. Caleb lost his temper and invited each of Okon, Ragnar, and Yerik's best converts to leave their masters to live with him, to take Vlad's place."
Enoch's face pinched in anger, but he knew Caleb's ego. He couldn't tolerate being goaded, and in all fairness, Caleb probably had to do something or he’d look weak. His three converts had pushed him into a corner.
"The big three are so petty!" Eva leaned forward. Her crystal ball slipped and she had to grab it before it rolled to the floor.
Nula rolled her shoulders to ease her tension. "Caleb should have told them to screw off."
Bart frowned. "They forced his hand. If he didn't do anything, he'd lose control, and they'd push harder."
"Exactly." Keb went on. "I was Caleb's first choice from Okon, but I turned him down—the reason I didn't run to him. It would be…tense between us. Caleb didn't intend to mark me for death, but when his generals started to die, I knew why, that it was the big three's revenge."
"So Okon tried to destroy you." Eva hunched her shoulders.
Voronika fumed. "Caleb was an instigator in this mess, as usual."
"Not instigator," Bart said. "The big three goaded him."
"But Caleb could have punished them in a different way."
Bart disagreed. "He meant to give them tit for tat."
Enoch balled his hands into fists. "Then Caleb should have leveled with me. I should have known better than to think he'd tell me what was really happening."
"I don't think he knew himself right then," Keb said. "And it has to gall him to take help from you."
Enoch thought about that. Keb was right. Caleb was so conceited, he'd never foresee a predicament like this. And why should he? Enoch could hardly believe it himself. "What do the big three hope to accomplish? They're taking a terrible risk."
Bart leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "I'd guess they started out, hoping that if they bothered him enough, he'd loosen their reins, give them more leeway."
Keb's expression grew serious. "That would only make them worse, and Caleb knew it. He checked them, and they escalated the battle. Now they've killed generals."
Enoch glanced out the front windows at the dark skies. "What can Caleb do to stop this?"
"I'm not sure he can." Bart looked to Claudia for her opinion. "The big three have gone too far to back down without serious consequences."
Enoch's mind raced. "What's in it for the humans? Why did the vampires use them at all?"
"The three saw what happened when Vlad sent his minions after Voronika. They were hoping humans would slip past you."
That made sense to Enoch. "So this all goes back to Vlad. He was always Caleb's weak spot."
Bart pushed himself to his feet, too restless to sit. "Do you think our plan to draw the hunters here will work?"
Keb shook his head. "If you kill one hunter, another will take his place and take his list."
"But they'll still have to come to us," Bart said.
Nula nodded. "It's better than trying to hide."
"They're looking for me," Keb said. "Use that. Make me bait to draw them out."
"Will you stay with us then?" Bart asked.
"I'll work with you, but I live alone."
Bart didn't argue. "Then I'll send someone to partner you."
Before Bart could choose, Enoch said, "Make it someone further down on the killers' lists, not some of the first faces I saw."
"I'll go." Eva placed her crystal ball on the coffee table and patted it gently. "I'm fourth, behind Victor, Horace, and Gunther. I should be safe."
"Horace and Gunther haven't even shown up yet." Claudia scowled her disapproval. "Neither has Ulrich."
Bart didn't look happy either. "Caleb sent Ulrich to Turkey to settle a dispute, but I haven't heard a word from Horace and Gunther."
"Do you think they joined the big three?" Elijah asked.
"No, you know Gunther. He carted his hunter to Caleb when he caught him, so he's loyal, but he's…him." Nula didn't have to say more.
Enoch rose and held out a hand to assist Eva. "At least, you should be safe. Keb's the next target for his hunter."
"If he gets me, finish him," Keb told Eva.
"With pleasure." Her tone was so steely, Amado looked at her in surprise.
Chapter 16
Bart joined Enoch to walk Keb and Eva to the door when they were ready to leave. Keb looked at Eva. "I think you and I should make the rounds tonight."
"And do what? It's only an hour till dawn," she said.
"We'll leave signs for those who know where and how to look for us."
Bart nodded. "A good idea. It's time hunters know we're here. They'll come for us."
Eva licked her lips. "It's spring—mating season. There should be lots of fresh road kill."
"I was thinking more of alleys and rats. Our killers are city dwellers. They'll look closer to town."
With leaps into the air, they were gone, and Enoch turned back to the others. "Are you coming?" he asked Bart.
"Not yet. I need a minute."
Enoch looked sympathetic. "Want some company? Someone to bounce ideas off of?"
Bart shook his head. "I need to think. The big three changes everything."
"They won't come themselves at first," Enoch said. "They'll send others, like Vlad did when he came for Voronika."
"We can take those." Bart forced himself to sound confident. He believed in his men, his troops. He'd recruited and trained each general himself. Those generals had chosen and trained the vamps who worked with them. But the big three had lots of converts, maybe more than Caleb. When Caleb had made his truce with Enoch, he'd changed very few new mortals into vampires—only those who came to him and asked for their idea of immortality. The big three, on the other hand, still practiced now and then. Never enough to get in trouble with Enoch. No vampire wanted him to come after them. But enough that their converts made converts and so on down the line.
Bart let out a deep sigh and looked up to the he
avens. It was a clear night. Stars twinkled in an inky galaxy. "You didn't know what you were getting into when you volunteered to help us," he told Enoch. "I wouldn't blame you if turned us out and sent us packing back to Caleb."
"I can help you more than he can this time," Enoch said, and relief washed over Bart. He'd fought tough campaigns before, ones he knew he might lose, but this one looked like sure defeat if they fought it alone. "I have the Light," Enoch went on. "Caleb doesn't. If the big three send an army, I can blast most of them."
Bart was silent a moment. Emotions struggled to the surface, fighting with one another. Enoch laid a hand on his shoulder. "When you decide how you want to run this campaign, tell me what to do. You're in charge."
Bart swallowed a knot of gratitude. What better friend could a man have? And, yes, Enoch thought of him as a man, not just a vampire. Enoch walked into the house and left him to his thoughts.
He couldn't be mad at Caleb. Caleb's greatest weakness had been Vlad. If he'd reigned him in more, maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe. But the big three were looking for a reason to rebel. If not Vlad, they'd have used something else. Bart paced the perimeter of the back yard. It didn't do any good to ask the why's and wherefores. What he had to decide now was how—how could they defeat the big three? What would it cost them, even with Enoch's help? By the time he headed back to the house, he was feeling more confident. The big three would start small and keep escalating. That was a war he knew how to fight. When they reached the end of it, when the big three came here themselves to destroy them, he had no idea what to do. But he had time to think about it. Time was on his side.
Chapter 17
When Bart returned to the house, Enoch pulled down the metal grids and locked them. Everyone sat in the kitchen, visiting, until sunrise. There was no mention of strategy or battles. No one wanted to think about it just yet. When the vampires wandered off to their various beds, Enoch opened the newspaper he'd bought earlier. A picture of a young woman was on the front page. Blond hair and brown eyes. At first glance, she reminded him of Kandice, Tony's daughter. She'd lost control of her car when driving home and crashed into a ditch, killing herself. Enoch let out a long sigh. How did parents cope when they lost a child? He thought of Nula. It must have been torture watching someone else raise her daughter. He thought of Tony and his wife, worrying about Kandice. He was relieved when the phone rang, taking him away from his gloomy thoughts.