Baited Blood

by Sue Ann Jaffarian

  The woman suppressed a small smile and checked her room register. “I’m sorry, but room 107 is taken. How about room 106? It’s right next door and has two queen-size beds. Room 107 only has a king.”

  Madison shrugged. “Sounds great to me. It’s only for one night anyway. Maybe she’ll get room 107 tomorrow night when we stop in Phoenix.”

  Madison took out the fake driver’s license given to her in the last hour by Samuel. It stated that her name was Nancy Dodd and she lived in Henderson, Nevada.

  “I’ll just need to see your credit card,” the woman told her.

  “I prefer to pay cash. Is that all right?” Madison looked at the women with wide eyes. “My husband and I are trying to pay them off. You know how that is.”

  “Absolutely; however, you won’t be able to make outside calls or order in-room movies unless we have a credit card or a cash deposit toward expenses.”

  “No need. We have our cell phones, and regular TV is fine.”

  The Dedhams and Samuel were relieved to get inside the room and out of the sun. The first thing Dodie did was close the drapes.

  “Oh, look, dear,” she said to Doug. “They have room-darkening drapes. How thoughtful. We’ll have to remember that.”

  Madison stared at Dodie like her brain had done a wheelie. “Like when, Grandma, are you ever going to come back here again?”

  “You never know, Nancy,” the old woman answered. “Didn’t ever think I’d be here now, but here I am.”

  The plan Madison and Samuel had put together on the way home from the airport was in motion.

  When Madison emerged from the terminal at LAX, she didn’t have to wait long before Samuel pulled up to the curb in his beloved Mercedes sports car and hopped out. He was driving and alone. A baseball cap was pulled down low over his forehead, and his sunglasses were in place. He wore faded jeans and a gray sweater. He looked like a celebrity trying to escape notice but too vain to give up the flashy car for the purpose. Madison looked around. No one was paying a bit of attention to them. It would be different if they knew that the man with the wide smile and casual elegance was a thousand-plus-year-old bloodsucker. Bet showing fangs would get the TSA folks to move the security line a little faster.

  Samuel grabbed her bag from the curb and flung it into the area behind the passenger’s seat. When Madison started to get into the car, he stopped her.

  “No, you drive.”

  “Me?” Madison looked the hundred-thousand-dollar car over with concern.

  “The sun is making me weak, and I want to reserve my concentration for what you have to say.”

  “Okay.” Once in the car, she asked, “Are we going to your place or to the Dedhams’?”

  “The Dedhams’.”

  They rode in silence until they got away from the airport. After a couple of miles, Madison forgot about the expensive machine she was driving and began to enjoy the muscle beneath her.

  “You can begin any time,” Samuel finally told her. It was an order, not a request.

  Keeping her eyes on the road ahead, Madison started at the beginning, explaining how she’d called a realtor about properties resembling a castle.

  “Very resourceful of you,” Samuel commented, with obvious pride on her behalf.

  She ended her long narrative with the various connections she’d followed in the vampire database. The entire time Samuel remained silent, staring straight ahead, not giving away the slightest hint of what he was thinking or feeling, not even when Madison mentioned Hyun.

  “So you don’t know for sure Lady is Julie Argudo?”

  “Not a hundred percent, no. But I am sure that Olivia Himmel is Libby Notchey. I’m also sure the only reason Hyun didn’t say anything about the castle and Lady to you is because he was trying to extricate Libby before something nasty erupted.”

  She glanced over at Samuel. He seemed relaxed. He continued to stare straight ahead, his left arm stretched out, with the hand against the back of her seat. But Madison knew his brain was as honed and humming as the engine in the powerful car. He was considering all the information from different angles.

  “Did you know Hyun was a runner at Leopold’s?”

  “Yes, I did. He was among the best. It’s one of the many reasons I hired him. A successful runner has the highest dedication to survival. His instincts are sharp, his mind always on alert. He’s never sloppy in his actions. In this case, Hyun was willing to put his own life on the line and risk angering me to save his woman.”

  “That doesn’t say much about his instinct to keep himself alive.”

  “Maybe not, but it does say a lot about his selfless loyalties.”

  “Are you going to kill him for not being upfront with you?”

  “I don’t know. He’s worked with vampires a long time. He knew the risk going in.”

  It was a brutally honest answer and not the one Madison had hoped to hear, but she had expected it.

  “I also think,” Madison said, moving the conversation along, “that it’s possible Ann Hayes knew Parker Young. She might even have been the one to turn him.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Joni said it’s highly unlikely that there’s a group of vampires branding potential newbies without the council hearing at least a rumor about it.”

  “She’s right.”

  “We know Lady is branding, and we know Ann used to brand. If Parker is older than Lady, then it could be that Ann branded and turned him, and he eventually hooked up with Lady. He might even have been the one to give her the idea about branding.”

  “Nicely thought out. Though didn’t you say Ann Hayes was also in Bulgaria? Maybe she mentored Lady at one time, and that’s how Lady got the idea to brand.”

  Madison considered that angle. “It could be that we’re dealing with two angry vampire bitches. If Lady is Julie, then she could have returned to the States to seek revenge on the council. Ann, on the other hand, wants revenge on Doug and Dodie.”

  She turned toward Samuel. “Do you believe for one minute that Ann Hayes is over Doug Dedham?”

  Samuel laughed. “I’ve met my share of grudge-holding women in all my years, so no, I do not.”

  “Speaking of which, were Joni, Isabella, and Stacie once your mistresses?”

  “Stacie, no, though I turned her. The others, yes. In fact, Joni and Isabella were with me around the same time.” Samuel’s mouth opened in a shit-eating grin. “Joni always refers to it as my blond period.”

  “But Joni is much older than Isabella.”

  “Joni wasn’t turned right away. She wanted to marry and experience a human life first. When her husband died, she came to me to be turned.”

  “She’s a hoot. At first, I wasn’t sure I liked and trusted her, but by the time I left, I liked her quite a bit.”

  Samuel pulled down his sunglasses and looked at Madison. “And did you change your mind about trusting her?”

  Madison took a deep breath before answering. “No, and I’m not sure why. It’s not that I think she’s malicious or would betray you or anything, but she’s sort of like that half-wolf pet of hers. Tame enough face to face, but I wouldn’t turn my back on it.”

  “You are very intuitive, Madison. Another of your qualities the council and I value.” Samuel stared out the window before asking, “So what do your instincts say I should do about Hyun?”

  “Wow, that’s a tough one. Not sure I want to be a part of that decision.”

  “You’re not, but I’d like your gut feeling.”

  “Okay.” Madison weighed the options before speaking. “First, I think we need to make sure Hyun is not involved in the murders of the two vampires. If he’s only trying to protect Libby, then we need to help him do it.” She cut her eyes to the passenger’s side. “And I’m saying that partially out of friendship to Notchey.”

  They were almost at the turnoff from Pacific Coast Highway to Topanga. To the left of them was the Pacific Ocean. Samuel looked across Madison to take
it in through her window.

  “Did you know that sometimes, right before I retire, I sit out by my pool and watch the sun rise?”

  Madison remained quiet, understanding he wasn’t looking for a response.

  “A few times I’ve stayed so long that Foster and Enid have had to help me back into the house and put me to bed.” He lowered his window and stuck his arm out, letting it feel the heat of the sun on his skin, but only for a moment. “After all these years as a vampire, I still miss the glorious feeling of the sun on my face every day.”

  TWENTY-FIVE

  The three of them—Doug, Dodie, and Madison—waited for any sign of Hyun and Libby with impatience. Only Samuel seemed cool and collected. He was stretched out on one of the beds without his sunglasses, watching CNN.

  Soon after entering their room, they had discovered a connecting door to room 107.

  “This is going to help us hear better,” commented Dodie. “The door will be much thinner than the wall.” She pulled a stethoscope from her large handbag and wrapped it around her neck. “This will help, too. We want to hear everything.”

  It was Samuel’s idea to get the Dedhams involved. Both of them had sensitive hearing. The first part of the plan was to try to overhear any conversation between Hyun and Libby to determine what might be going on in Lady’s household, including the identity of Lady. The second half involved breaking in on the couple and taking Libby by force.

  “I still don’t understand, Samuel,” Doug said after peeking out into the parking lot from behind the drapes, “why we don’t just grab the girl and take her back to your place. We can question her better there.”

  Samuel never took his eyes off the TV. “Because she’s more likely to give up information to Hyun when she feels safe. I want to hear as much out of her as possible before she feels threatened or trapped.” From the bed, he looked up at Doug. “Who knows, depending on what we hear, maybe I’ll change my mind about taking her at all. Maybe I’ll let Libby return to the castle so as not to disrupt whatever Lady has in mind. It might bring it to a head faster.”

  Madison checked the lock on the connecting door, then went to her bag. Digging out a long, thin metal nail file, she went back to the door and began working the lock. The three vampires watched her with interest but said nothing, choosing instead to shoot silent looks between themselves.

  It took Madison a full five minutes of concentration, but finally she heard the lock click. Turning the door handle, she pulled the connecting door open, revealing a room on the other side much like their own but with only one large bed instead of two.

  Samuel got off the bed and looked through the door into room 107. “Well, Madison, there’s another talent we didn’t know you possessed.”

  “What can I say? Every useful skill I have, I learned in foster care, this one at the hands of Orly Thomas, a master thief by the time he was fourteen.”

  Samuel closed the connecting door, then opened it again, making sure the lock didn’t reengage upon closure. “That could come in very handy.”

  Doug agreed. “Certainly less noticeable than pounding on the front door.”

  When he wasn’t keeping watch out the window, Doug studied the room. While not an expensive motel room, it also wasn’t a dive. It was clean and comfortable, with matching furnishings and dark floral comforters on the bed that matched the drapes. Even the carpet was clean and freshly vacuumed. On the table was a vinyl portfolio containing brochures of various Los Angeles area attractions and menus from nearby restaurants.

  “There’s something about being in a motel,” Doug observed. “They always make me randy.”

  “Douglas!” Dodie snapped.

  “Oh, come on, Dodie. You and I have had some wild times in rented rooms. Even before you became a vampire.” In spite of herself, Dodie giggled.

  “Ugh,” Madison said in disgust. “What is wrong with you people? You’re supposed to be my grandparents.”

  “Doug’s right. There’s something wicked and fun about motel rooms, especially during the day.” Samuel playfully grabbed Madison around the waist and buried his head into her neck, making wet, noisy kissing sounds. “Maybe we should have gotten two rooms. After all, I am your husband.”

  Madison pushed him away, straining to keep a straight face. “Don’t make me pull out the bloodroot.”

  “Shh,” Dodie cautioned them. They all froze. “I just heard a car pull up outside.”

  Doug peeked out the window. “She’s right. It’s Hyun.”

  In two strides, Samuel was next to Doug. “And the girl?”

  “No sign of her. Hyun’s heading for the office. Probably going to check in.”

  A short time later, Doug reported, “A woman just drove up—dark hair, silver Honda.”

  “That’s her,” Madison confirmed.

  “Hyun’s returning, and she’s getting out of the car to greet him.” He paused. “She looks very upset.”

  Samuel gave a signal for everyone to be quiet. Dodie got into position by the connecting door, her stethoscope ready to be pressed into service.

  Even without special hearing, they could all hear Libby saying something to Hyun in a high, rushed voice while he opened the door to the room.

  “She just told him something bad is going on at the castle,” Doug reported in a whisper. “He pushed her inside and shut the door.”

  Dodie applied the stethoscope to the flat surface of the connecting door. “She is very upset,” she whispered. Doug, Samuel, and Madison gathered close to Dodie. “He’s trying to calm her down.”

  “Is it about Lady?” asked Samuel.

  Dodie held up a hand, telling him to wait a minute. “Yes, something about new vampires at the castle … several new vampires showing up last night.” She listened in again. “Libby told Hyun he was right, something bad is about to happen, but she doesn’t know what. She also told him she’s sure Lady killed Parker and Duff.”

  Samuel straightened with interest.

  Dodie listened several moments more before reporting again. “Oh, that poor child.”

  “What?” asked Madison in a frantic whisper.

  “Hyun is very angry because Libby has several bad bite marks on her neck. She said last night the new vampires got out of control when there weren’t enough consorts for them all.” She listened again.

  Madison grabbed Samuel’s arm. “We can’t let her go back there.”

  “I quite agree with Madison,” added Doug. “Mike’s our friend. We have to protect Libby.”

  Samuel indicated to Dodie to get out of the way. Putting one hand on the doorknob, he quickly pushed open the connecting door and rushed into the next room, fangs bared and ready. Behind him were Dodie and Doug, also in attack mode. With catlike reflexes, Hyun jumped over the bed where Libby lay crying, to get between her and the threat. In his hands was a large handgun trained on Samuel’s heart.

  “No!” yelled Madison. She rushed into the room on Samuel’s heels.

  “Do what you want with me,” Hyun said, his voice even and under control. “But leave her be.”

  Samuel put away his fangs, but his eyes never left Hyun’s face. “We’ll discuss you later. Right now, I want to know everything about Lady and her plans.”

  Dodie and Madison helped Libby get up and sit in the chair by the table. She was weak and pale, and one of the bite marks was oozing. Dodie went into the bathroom and returned with a warm, wet facecloth and soap. “Let me see them, dear.” She shot a stern look at Samuel. “In spite of Mr. La Croix’s bluster, we are here to help you.”

  Libby looked up at Samuel, focusing on him for the first time. “You—you’re Samuel La Croix?”

  “That I am.”

  “I … I overheard your name last night. I was going to tell Hyun.”

  Dodie tugged gently at Libby’s V-neck sweater. “You’ll need to remove your top, Libby, if I’m to clean your wounds properly.”

  Hyun moved over to Libby. “Why don’t you let Mrs. Dedham take you into
the bathroom and fix you up. Then you can answer questions.”

  “No,” said Samuel. “She’ll remain here and do both at the same time.”

  Hyun straightened and faced Samuel, his face hard with defiance. “I’ll not have you all ogling Libby like a piece of meat. She’s had enough of that.”

  “No, Hyun, it’s okay. I’ll stay.” Libby lifted her sweater and, with some effort and help from Madison, managed to pull it over her head.

  When she did, everyone, vampire and beater alike, gasped. Unlike her neck, which had two large, nasty bites, Libby’s chest, including her full, round breasts, was covered with small pairs of fang bites like multiple nicks made by a small, sharp knives held parallel. The cups of her pink bra were dotted with bloodstains.

  “Libby,” Dodie asked gently. “Are there bites in other places, too?”

  Her eyes cast downward, Libby nodded.

  Hyun’s jaw tightened and his eyes blazed. He pointed the gun back at Samuel. “I should kill you all for this.”

  “No, Hyun.” Madison wedged herself between Samuel and the gun. “They really want to help. Libby is Mike Notchey’s sister.”

  Keeping his gun on Madison and Samuel, Hyun asked, “Is it true, Libby? Is Mike Notchey, the LA cop, your brother?”

  “He was,” she answered, dissolving into more tears. “But he’s dead.”

  Dodie stopped dabbing at Libby’s wounds. “No, dear, he’s not. And he’s a very good friend of ours.”

  “But Gus said he was killed—shot because of me.”

  “He was shot,” explained Doug. “But he lived through it. After he got out of the hospital, my wife here nursed him back to health.”

  Libby looked up into Dodie’s face for confirmation. The older woman nodded, her face full of kindness. “He’s fine, Libby. And he’s been looking for you all these years. Even Samuel here has tried to help him.”

  Ignoring Hyun’s gun, Samuel moved from behind Madison and knelt in front of Libby. He took her hands gently in his own. “We’re going to take you to Mike, but first we need to know what Lady has planned.”