Sometimes we waited for cleanup over what was left of the body of a woman. Those were the nights that were really depressing. The remains had to be disposed of without notifying anyone, which meant there would be no graves or memorial services and their families and friends would simply never know what became of them, would maybe even hold out hope that they’d come back. I used to think that, in a sense, that was more merciful for them than knowing the truth, but still, it’d be hard.
It started to seem like for every one we took out, two more took his place. The population of young men was being thinned by being infected by the virus. The population of young women was being thinned by being killed by vampire.
People were afraid. The smart ones were trying to leave New York like refugees. People with families tried to keep their kids on lockdown at night. But those at greatest risk were also the most reckless and least likely to believe something bad might happen to them.
As for the job of trying to give young humans a chance to live long enough to gain some wisdom, well, at the time I would have said it bites. We’d chase down vampire only to have them vanish. Poof. Like magic. We couldn’t find where they were hiding and it was becoming increasingly frustrating.
Let me tell you, it’s not easy to maintain a state of alert vigilance for hours at a time, every muscle tense, every synapse firing, unless there’s an apparent reason for it. Victories weren’t nearly plentiful enough to keep us at a safe state of readiness. I know that sounds like excuse-making, but the only way we could get a break was to divide the team, trying to stay close enough to provide backup for each other without making it apparent that we were together. Ram and I had perfected the art of splitting up. Or so we thought. We got to be good at looking like we were alone, while never losing sight of each other. For one thing, we’d usually be on different sides of the street.
At six feet tall, Rammel was the smallest of us, but he was also very quick. And very lethal.
Three times he risked himself by pulling a leech off one of us a second before we were on the way to Palesville. Twice more he interrupted an abduction in progress and sent young ladies home to rethink being out at night. Every time Storm wrote him up in a report that resulted in some honor or another, but Ram always declined formal decoration.
It was strange that somebody so charismatic shied away from notoriety, but I knew he had his reasons.
It makes me laugh to myself to say it, but his heroics were the one and only thing he was humble about. The thing is, he had plenty of reason to think he was all that. I never told him, because his ego certainly didn’t need inflating, but I couldn’t imagine a better friend and I was so proud to be his partner.
I wish I’d said that when I could have.
CHAPTER 4
Ram
O’course we knew that our vocation was dangerous, but we still had a little bit of that delusion of invincibility because we were young and strong. Till the day I die I will wonder if I could have saved Lan. If I’d been a second quicker to notice the danger or a second quicker to react? I’ll never know, which is why it will never stop hauntin’ me.
It happened one night when we’d just been dropped off in Midtown. We had no’ even split up yet, but were walkin’ along makin’ plans to meet at a favorite bar two hours into our shift. We were passin’ by a tight alleyway, when I heard a muffled yell. The others kept walkin’ ‘cause they had no’ heard a thing. I guess elf ears have value beyond good looks.
I stopped the others with a look as I withdrew a stake from the inside of my leather jacket and pointed into the alley. I saw Storm’s head jerk toward the corner and I knew he was calculatin’ how much time it would take them to get ‘round to the other end of the alley. Since we were off Broadway, the block would be short between where we were and the other side. So, without a word, he and Kay took off runnin’ while Lan and I began to ease toward the sound.
There was no’ much light, just what was comin’ from where the pass through deadended at the streets on either end. Lan was on one side movin’ forward slowly, but huggin’ the wall, keepin’ to the shadows. I was on the other. Our eyes were adjustin’ to the dark, but no’ fast enough, especially since the vampire were wearin’ dark clothes.
When we came on the scene, there were five of them feastin’ on two girls, who had probably thought they were out for a fun girls’ night on the town. The sight was shockin’. No’ because we’d never seen vampire eat before, but because we’d never seen so many vampire together in one place before. They tended to be solitary hunters. If they banded together, ‘twas typically in pairs. At least in our experience.
I nodded to Lan, but was no’ at all sure that he could see me in the dim light.
Let me preface this next statement by sayin’ that there are no’ rules of gentlemanly conduct when it comes to vampire. Our job was to neutralize them as quickly and efficiently as possible. The idea of tradin’ blow for blow with vampire and waitin’ to see who would be the last standin’? Well, ‘twould be ludicrous. The only thing separatin’ us from them was the tiniest graze of a fang with virus-infested saliva on it.
At first I thought we’d been lucky because the leeches were concentrated on feedin’ and no’ payin’ the least attention to the fact that other predators could be found in the city. Namely us.
I crept up behind the two closest to me and dispatched them before what was left of their minds registered that I was there. I had a stake in each hand. I plunged one through the back of the leech closest to me. We’d been unknowin’ly practicin’ how to do that for a decade and unerrin’ly hit the heart, even as teenagers without havin’ any understandin’ of what we were trainin’ for. I shifted the stake in my left hand to my right just as the others realized the party had been interrupted, but it was too late.
Lan had engaged two while Storm and Kay were interceptin’ the fifth, who’d run the way they were comin’. Normally Lan would have made short work of the bloodsuckers as I had. He killed one, but before he got the other, the girl on the ground, the one who was still alive, reached out and put her hand on his calf. Lan looked down to see what had touched his leg. The distraction was just enough to give the vamp the openin’ he needed to grab Lan and bite into his throat.
Believe me, it may sound detached, the way I tell this story. But ‘twas no’ easy to relive on any terms. When I think back on that night, the memory feels like the whole thing was impressed on my mind in slow motion. I rushed the leech that had his arms around my partner from behind. Lan’s arms were pinned down and he had this look on his face like he did no’ know what was happenin’. I’ll never forget it. Sometimes I wake up at night and, even though the images flee like smoke on wakin’, I know I’ve been dreamin’ it because of the residual feelin’s. As nightmares go, that one is quite persistent.
I caught Lan as his legs gave way and eased him down to the street.
By that time Storm and Kay were standin’ over us. They had taken care of the vamp who tried to flee and then mercifully dispatched the girl who was still alive. ‘Twas the best we could do for her because there was no possibility of a good endin’ to that. She’d either die a painful death while the virus made its way through her system burnin’ like poison or she’d be one of the rare females who turned. Either way, her life was over. We knew that intellectually, but ‘twas still a duty we all dreaded carryin’ out.
Lan could no’ really give any last words because his throat was filled with blood. When he tried, the only thing that came out was a horrible gurglin’ sound. I’m no’ capable of expressin’ how much I hate rememberin’ him like that.
I knew from the first day we met that he and I were goin’ to be friends. I could no’ have guessed how close we would end up bein’. I loved him like a brother. Correction. Considerin’ how I felt about my older brother, I should say instead that I loved him and leave it at that. What I regret more than anything is havin’ never told him that I was proud to be his partner.
As you already
know, Black Swan has a tradition of givin’ leave to remainin’ team members when one has been lost in the line of duty. I guess at some point they figured out that a healin’ time is required. But first, a formal inquiry is conducted. The unit sovereign and shrink hear testimony and do an evaluation. All three of us would have gladly taken beatin’s instead of havin’ to rehash what happened that night.
We had flown to California with Lan’s ashes and attended the memorial service. Hearin’ his mother cry was brutal. Lyin’ to her about how we knew him was even worse.
After we arrived back at J.U., we had to face the inquiry.
I’ve never felt so low before or since. My heart felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. It was hard to walk. Hard to breathe. Hard to imagine a future without Lan in it. I knew Storm and Kay were grievin’, too, but Lan was no’ their partner. We’d spent three years together. No’ every minute, but in addition to trainin’ together and patrollin’ together, we shared a lot of time off.
Maybe I was a bad influence on him. I know my behavior shocked him at times, but I never went so far that he did no’ forgive me for embarrassin’ him or gettin’ him into a situation no’ of his own choosin’.
Sometimes things come in pairs of opposites. The worst thing that ever happened to me was quickly followed by the best thing that ever happened to me.
CHAPTER 5
Ram
I glanced over at Monk. He was sittin’ off to the side, listenin’ to us tell the story, no’ sayin’ a word or givin’ anything away. I guess he was hopin’ we’d forget he was there, but if he really thought that was goin’ to happen, he did no’ know Black Swan knights as well as he thought.
We’d each told what we remembered about that night. I guess they’d done a good job of trainin’ us to be good witnesses because our stories matched exactly. To my very great relief it seemed like the ordeal was nearin’ an end. I was packed and could no’ wait to get to my cottage in the New Forest and close the door. I thought the best way for me to process what had happened was alone.
‘Twas what I was thinkin’ about when I was hit with a blast of hot air. I stood and looked around for the cause. My remainin’ teammates were doin’ the same thing and we all had alarm written on our faces.
At first we did no’ see anything out of the ordinary, but then there was a burst of light and a loud pop. Something materialized out of thin air and fell to the floor. If I was a squeamish sort, I’d say it made a sickenin’ sound when it plopped on the flagstone.
Nobody moved. We just stood there starin’ at it. I mean, we’d seen a lot of strange stuff. No’ just vampire. Occasionally Black Swan sends knights to investigate other things no’ supposed to exist. But this was a new one.
I stepped toward it cautiously and leaned closer to get a better look.
“What is that?” I asked.
Whatever it was, it was unrecognizable. I mean we could see it was a creature, but it was so torn and bloody ‘twas hard to make out much beyond that.
Kay looked at Storm and said, “Shaped like a human.”
Well, duh.
Sol looked at Kay and said, “Not much of a recommendation. So are lots of things that aren’t.”
At first I thought that the feelin’ I was gettin’ was the after effect of adrenaline. Seemed just that unpleasant, but different. I mean, when that gruesome thing lyin’ on the floor started moanin’ and tryin’ to move, it made me feel sick. No’ that I really had experience with human-type illnesses, but I’d seen enough to guess that it was no’ fun.
I did no’ know what the thing was. I just knew it was no’ good and it was too much of a coincidence that it came out of nowhere and landed in J.U.’s Chamber.
‘Tis hard to explain my reaction. It felt like the creature was clawin’ at me from the inside. Plus the fact that I’d got hard lookin’ at a pile of goo was both disgustin’ and disturbin’. Gave me plenty of reason to hate that thing and believe ‘twas an evil in our midst.
So, as usual, I said what was on my mind. “I have a bad feelin’ about this. I think we should kill it. Kill it now.”
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Storm had moved closest to it and it looked like the thing tried to reach out to him. He got down on one knee and looked like he was goin’ to try to pick it up. I thought he’d gone mad, and I was no’ the only one.
Sol said, “Don’t touch it! We don’t know what it is. It could be anything… a disguised machine or a suicide mission carrying explosives or toxic chemicals. Or a spell!”
I thought that last one was a bit of a reach, but I suppose ‘tis his job to consider all possibilities.
Storm acted like the sovereign had no’ said a word. He just quietly went about doin’ what he was doin’ and said, “Call the infirmary. Get them ready for an incoming emergency.”
As I’ve already said, that was no’ my first choice, but I’d been teammates with Engel Storm long enough to respect him more than anyone I knew, since Lan was no longer alive. So if that was his play, I was goin’ to back him up.
I started toward the wall phone.
“Ignore that!” Sol demanded. “Are you not hearing me?” He wheeled on me. “Hawking, don’t you move another step!”
I hesitated for a couple of seconds. Disobeyin’ a direct order from a sovereign was a serious offense, but somehow, on the heels of Lan’s death, such things did no’ seem important. Storm was the one I counted on in the field. It felt like my first allegiance was to him. Always.
Still, I tried to make light of it by sayin’, “Sorry. You know we do no’ do orders.”
“I’m not joking!” Sol looked at me like I’d lost my fuckin’ mind. And maybe I had. “Two minutes ago you were voting to kill it now.”
That was true. I did no’ have an explanation that anyone outside B Team would understand, so I did no’ bother to offer one. With a defiance that some might say was no’ that surprisin’, I punched in the code and said, “Stormy’s call.”
By that time Storm was strugglin’ to get the thing in his arms and get to his feet which, again, made me dubious about the nature of the creature. I mean Storm was a very big guy who could bench press me on a bet. One thing was for sure, the creature was heavier than it looked.
Seein’ that, Kay squatted down on the opposite side of it, facin’ Storm, and said, “Might be better to have them send a gurney. You could be causing more damage.” He glanced down for just a second, then added, “If that’s possible.”
Storm shook his head. “No time.”
Kay nodded, comin’ to the same conclusion as myself. Whatever Storm was thinkin’, we were on his side. Kay helped lift the creature so that Storm could get a good enough grip to carry it. “Hope you know what you’re doing.”
Kay and I walked behind Storm. He was clearly strugglin’ with both the weight and the mess. No doubt it was slippery with all those fluids oozin’. He was breathing heavy, but I could hear him tryin’ to say soothing things to the bundle of goo in his arms.
When we were close to the infirmary Kay and I jogged ahead. They should have been ready for us because they’d been warned we were on the way.
I crashed through the swingin’ doors and yelled, “Where do you want us?”
Within seconds the med team had moved the creature from Storm’s arms to a gurney. The medics hustled away askin’ questions about the nature of the injury. Great Paddy! How were we supposed to say how it had been hurt? We did no’ even know what it was!
They disappeared behind double doors and made it clear we were no’ welcome beyond.
Storm just stood there starin’ at those closed doors. Made me wonder if he was touched with the PTSD. I nudged his shoulder and said, “Good call. They’re takin’ care of it. Now let’s go get a drink and say goodbye. We will no’ be seein’ each other again for a while.”
Kay said something about drinkin’ and bein’ Irish, but slapped me on the back and started away with me. He happened to look down at h
is clothes and seemed to realize, for the first time, that he was wearin’ a lot of gore.
“We might want to grab a shower and a change first,” he said.
He must have been talkin’ about Storm and himself when he said “we” because my clothes were fine. I turned ‘round to say something to Storm, but he had no’ moved. He was just standin’ there still starin’ at the door. At that point I was beginnin’ to be concerned.
“You comin’?” I asked.
Kay gave me a look that said he was also worried about the uncharacteristic behavior.
Storm did no’ move nor did he answer.
So Kay walked back to his side and said, “Hey. What’s up? We’ve seen stranger stuff than this.”
I concurred by addin’, “Lots stranger.”
Storm blinked, looked down at the bloody mess on his clothes, and said, “These are gonna have to be burned.”
Kay nodded without takin’ his eyes off his partner. “Yeah. Probably. Let’s get cleaned up and grab a whiskey.”
Storm looked between the two of us and said, “Thanks for the backup.” But he still did no’ look like he was fully present and accounted for.
I could see that Kay wasn’t buyin’ it either, but he let it pass and, seein’ the wisdom in that, I decided to do the same.
“I’m gonna hang out here a while and see what happens,” Storm said. He looked back at the door. “You know. Curious.”
I leaned against the wall thinkin’ I might as well get comfy, but Kay shocked the fool out of me by sayin’, “Okay. Call if you need us. We’ll be close.”
I could only guess that Kay was cravin’ whiskey like I was. I turned to start toward the door when Sol came stormin’ through lookin’ like he was takin’ scalps. If we’d left two minutes before, we would have got away clean.
Knights of Black Swan, Books 7-9 (Knights of Black Swan Box Set Book 3) Page 37