by Mary Abshire
“Yes?” asked a female from the box on the wall. The light had changed to green.
“Hello, my name is Zale Wallace. I’m with the Union of Justice and I’m here to see Tim Landers. I have a few questions I’d like to ask him.”
“He’s not here.”
Zale looked up at the camera on the other side of the driveway. “I assure you, my visit is a friendly one.”
“He’s not here.”
Zale lowered his gaze. The sun had set a short time ago. While the vamp could’ve woken early and had left, he doubted Tim had run out the door within thirty minutes of sundown. Zale was willing to bet the vamp didn’t want to speak to him.
He looked at the box with the green light. “Will you give him my name and have him call the local UoJ office please? I’m hoping he might be able to help me with something.”
“I’ll give him the message.”
“Thank you.”
When the light returned to orange he determined the conversation had ended and returned to his car. Before he reached it, his phone began ringing. He tugged it from his pocket. Ray’s number appeared on the screen.
“Are you at work already?” Zale asked.
“Yeah, I wanted to get an early start. I’m glad I did because Gordon called me.”
“Is he there already?” He hopped into his seat and shut the door.
“No, he’s on his way. You’re going to love this. Gordon said he spoke to a vamp who informed him there is a community meeting later tonight. The vamp didn’t give his name, but said several are organizing to find out why vamps are disappearing.”
“How did this vampire get ahold of our boss?”
“Gordon said he got a message from the manager over at the tip-off center. The vamp called and wanted to speak directly with him. The manager took the information and sent it to Gordon.”
“And this happened today?” Zale started the engine. “The sun went down under an hour ago.”
“I just got off the phone with Gordon, so I’m guessing this transpired within the last twenty to thirty minutes. Anyway, the meeting is at midnight. Gordon wants us to show up and be, get this, civil. Depending on the outcome, he thinks we should start working with the DS.”
The Bluetooth activated as soon as Zale drove away from the spot. He set the phone on the seat next to him.
“Okay, I’m fine with going,” Zale said. “Did he give you the location?”
“Yes.”
“I’m heading to the office now. Since we have time to kill, I want you to come with me to check in on a few vampires.”
There was a heavy sigh over the connection. “All right. Text me when you get here.”
The call ended, leaving Zale in silence. He sensed Ray’s displeasure with visiting vamps. The werewolf needed to change his attitude. If vampires were organizing, then they were growing more concerned. They needed assurance someone would help them. Whether Ray liked it or not, he would have to play along.
Similar to the previous night, Zale had a strong feeling they were going to be busy. Unlike the prior evening, he wanted to spend more time with vampires who weren’t corpses. And he hoped the vamps would be willing to cooperate to bring an end to kidnappings and mutilations. The night had so much potential to turn out good, or extremely bad.
Chapter Eleven
Ray failed to smile or say anything when he climbed into the passenger seat. The werewolf didn’t bother to look at Zale either. Ray wore dark-green khakis with a black shirt. If there had been spots on his pants and a cap on his head he would’ve looked as if he’d stepped from boot camp on an army base.
“Where to?” Ray asked as he snapped the seatbelt into the lock.
Zale gathered from his flat tone and impassive expression that he wasn’t happy about tagging along.
“I have the addresses for the three men who worked with Robert at the transportation department. I stopped by the home for Tim Landers a little while ago. A woman told me he wasn’t there,” Zale said.
“Shocker.”
“The woman might have been lying. It seemed early for a vamp to have left his home already. I left my name and asked for him to contact me. Since we have time before this meeting, I want to stop at the other two homes and try to talk to the vampires.”
“Do you really think they’ll listen to anything a UoJ agent has to say? I’m willing to bet they don’t see us as allies.”
“We don’t have any feud with law-abiding vampires. Why wouldn’t they listen?”
Ray turned away from him. “I hope you’re right.”
Zale returned to the interstate and followed the directions on his GPS. While he’d been waiting for Ray to arrive from the pyramid, he’d entered the address for Scott Campbell. Judging from the name of the street, Scott lived west of Tim, closer to Speedway. Zale had spent a little time researching the four vamps before he’d left in the early morning. They’d all worked with the state for over twenty years and had lived at their residences for longer. None of them had criminal records. Their licenses were current. They paid their taxes. Zale couldn’t find anything questionable on the four, which raised his level of guilt for destroying Robert so quickly. But he didn’t want to harp on the past. The future was what mattered and he wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
From the exit, Zale drove down the main thoroughfare. Restaurants and shopping centers on both sides of the street were lit up and cars packed the lots. He turned away from the heart of the action and onto a street leading them to residential neighborhoods and apartments. For several miles Ray kept silent, staring out his window.
“I know you don’t like doing things like this, but it’s time we put aside our judgments. It’s imperative we talk to them and try to help them in order to maintain peace,” Zale said
“More like to save their bloody immortal asses,” Ray grumbled.
“They’re not all bad, Ray.”
“They killed your parents, your brother, and other innocent werewolves. We serve justice to many who break the AoA law. Do you really trust them?”
Zale pressed his lips together and stared forward. He’d spent his career tracking the criminals, so naturally he’d formed a low opinion of vampires. The fact vamps had killed part of his family didn’t improve his attitude toward them. But the demons had created all the chaos. The vamps had been the ones to restore order. Truth be told, the majority of vampires stayed out of trouble and followed the law. They wanted peace as much as anyone. The time had come for him and other agents to reserve judgment.
“We’ve seen a lot of immoral vamps as UoJ agents, so it’s okay to have doubts. But we keep them to ourselves and do what is needed to save mankind. And if that means helping vampires, then we will help them,” Zale said.
Ray sighed heavily. “Yeah.”
Zale steered the SUV into a neighborhood with large brick homes on both sides of the street. Many had lights on inside and out. The yards contained mature trees and manicured landscaping. He turned a few more times to reach Scott’s house. Behind it stood a large tree line. Zale parked on the curb.
“Let me do the talking,” Zale said as he opened his door.
“Sure thing.”
Together they walked up the driveway to reach the entrance. The wide two-story home had a front porch with a swing hanging from the ceiling. Flowers decorated the railing. Tiny solar powered lights along the sidewalk guided them to the house. Curtain windows revealed darkness inside. After climbing a few steps and then crossing the porch, Zale reached the door.
“There’s a tiny heartbeat inside and it’s near the ground,” Ray said as Zale knocked.
Zale heard a meow. A second one followed. “His cat is home.”
Ray stopped in front of the window. The curtain moved and a white feline with black spots appeared. It looked at Ray. “I’m not hearing any footsteps.” He tapped the window with his finger and the cat meowed.
Zale removed his phone from hi
s back pocket and checked the time. They still had close to two hours before the meeting.
“Let’s try the last house and see if the vamp is home,” Zale said as he walked away from the door.
Minutes later, they were back on the road. Ray held Zale’s phone while he typed the address on the GPS screen.
“This guy lives in Decatur,” Ray said as he leaned back in his seat. He set Zale’s phone in the cup holder.
“It’s a suburb on the southwest side.”
“Didn’t you originally come from the west side?”
“Yeah.”
“Why did you move to Carmel?”
“When the outbreak was over, I decided I needed a change. Not many people lived in Carmel in the 1930s. I wanted some peace and quiet and I found it there.”
“And now it’s one of the best places to live in the U.S.”
“Yeah, it’s changed and grown, but it still feels homey to me.”
“Do you ever think about settling down with a woman?”
Zale grinned. “What kind of woman would understand the kind of work I do? I work from sundown to sunup and I love my job.”
“So work comes first, is that it?”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“What if you found your mate?”
“I’d still work for the UoJ. I wouldn’t change.”
“Have you considered dating any of the female UoJ agents? Maybe one of them could be your mate.”
“No and I doubt it. Besides, I really don’t want any children. Life is filled with too much…stress, grief, and pain. If my mate is out there, we’ll meet at the right time. Until then, I’ll enjoy company with other ladies.” Zale wanted to believe he’d meet a mate one day, but given his devotion to his job, he doubted he’d ever meet the one who could understand and satisfy him completely. Having a single status would never lower his spirit.
“Sounds like a good idea to me.”
Speaking of women, Zale’s thoughts returned the officer he’d met earlier near the White River. “Did I tell you I was sent to a crime scene around sun down?”
“No.”
“I got a call from the office and was told to go to a crime scene. There was a corpse missing its head.”
“Another vampire?”
Zale nodded. “It was missing a hand too. I couldn’t see the other arm since it was under water. There was also a duffle bag. It had four heads inside it.”
Ray’s eyes enlarged. “Do you think they could belong to the four bodies we found at the warehouse?”
“It’s a possibility. I sent the photos to Henry and Gordon.”
Ray withdrew his phone from his front pocket. He tapped the screen.
“Who are you calling?” Zale asked.
Ray lifted his forefinger. “Henry, it’s me, Ray. Zale told me he sent you some pictures of heads in a bag. Could you compare them with a photo of Bethany? Her file is on my desk.” He paused while Henry spoke. “Great. Let me know the names when you get them.” Another break of silence. “I’ll let him know. Thanks Henry.”
“He probably won’t be able to match the face to a photo. The heads had been decomposing for at least several days. They were mostly hair, bones, and teeth.”
“Yeah, but you know Henry, he’s good at recognizing things from pictures. Did you hear him say the DNA results should come in from the coroner sometime before sunrise?”
“I heard, and he said someone will run the names through the database.”
“Hopefully we’ll learn the identities of the corpses before our shift is over.”
“Good. Since they’re the most recent departed, we need to check into their backgrounds and see if there’s any kind of connection or if someone saw anything before they disappeared.”
Zale exited from the interstate and headed into the suburban town. The GPS directions led him down one small road after another, miles from any gas station or grocery store. Houses were few and far between. Surrounded by many trees, the unlit country route they traveled along gave him an eerie feeling.
He slowed his vehicle as they neared their destination. Two cars sat on the driveway. Bright lights on the sides of the attached garage illuminated the area. The ranch house stretched from left to right. Inside, light glowed behind a curtain. Zale hoped someone was home. He pulled up behind one of the idle sedans.
“If the vamp is here, he heard us arrive,” Ray said unbuckled his seatbelt.
“His name is Mark Renaut.”
“Is that French?”
Zale shrugged. “No idea. Let’s find out.”
They left the SUV and headed for the sidewalk. The house didn’t have a porch and the windows were wider than modern ones. Overgrown shrubs blocked half of the glass. The design of the home reminded him of something from the 1940s or ‘50s. With all the trees on both sides and behind, Zale suspected leaves during the Fall season were a pain to deal with.
Ray stopped behind Zale while he knocked.
“I don’t hear any heartbeats,” Ray whispered.
The door opened and a short man with a stocky build stepped forward. His short brown hair barely reached his earlobes and he had a clean-shaven face. He wore dark pants and a long-sleeved sweater. He had paler skin than most humans, but color hadn’t been the trait confirming he was a vampire. The lack of heartbeat from the man standing two feet away from Zale had been enough proof.
“Mark Renaut?” Zale asked.
“That’s me.” He looked from Zale to Ray. “What do you want?”
“A few minutes of your time. My name is Zale Wallace and this is my partner, Ray. We work with the Union of Justice and we are concerned over reports of vampires disappearing.”
Mark snickered and stretched his arm toward the interior of his home. “The Union of Justice is concerned? Now that’s funny. But come on in.”
The lack of foreign accent led Zale to believe the vamp was American and not French. Still, the vamp had an unusual last name.
Zale stepped inside the warm home. A faint floral and orange smell lingered in the air. Since vamps didn’t eat food, Zale suspected the scent came from a cleaning material. Maybe he had a human donor who had eaten an orange within the last twenty-four hours.
The hardwood floors looked polished. On the right, cherry wood cabinets lined a wall behind a similar style oblong dining table with a vase full of lilies in the center. The kitchen sat further back and the living room to the left. Although the furniture appeared outdated, everything looked clean and pristine. There was a hall behind the living room. Ray stopped near the door and stared at Mark as he closed it.
“Where are you from, Mark?” Ray asked as he slid his hands into his front pockets.
“Quebec,” he said. “Why?”
“Did you call into work tonight?” Ray asked in a somewhat condescending tone.
“No, I have the night off. I work tomorrow.” He crossed his arms. “Do you need to know my full work schedule too? I haven’t committed any crimes.”
Zale glared at Ray. Zale had wanted to ask questions to gather information, not grill the vamp as if he were a criminal. Ray pressed his lips together and gave a light shrug.
“What’s going on?” Mark asked.
Zale shifted his attention back to Mark. “We had a run in with Robert Galloway last night. He was looking for his girlfriend, Bethany. Do you know anything about her?”
“Robert told me she disappeared a week ago.” Mark’s gaze jumped between Zale and Ray.
“Did he mention any details about her disappearance to you?” Zale asked.
“Nothing other than he was worried. She’d been gone before, but never for a full week.”
“Did he mention the last time he’d seen or spoke to her?” Zale asked.
“He told me she had the night off from work and was meeting friends at a bar on the west side, the usual one they visited.”
“And Bethany was a vampire, correct?” Zale asked
for confirmation.
Mark grinned. “She wasn’t even half as old as Robert, but yes, she was.”
“Did Robert mention the names of her friends she was to meet?” Zale asked.
“No, not to me. I really didn’t know her well.”
The small details were important. Now more than ever, Zale wished he’d spared Robert to get specific information from him.
“Robert showed up at the club last night,” Zale said. “He took a hostage, a young man, and killed him.”
“Damn it.” Mark closed his eyes briefly and shook his head. “Let me guess, you ended Robert’s existence.”
“He killed an innocent human,” Ray said.
“We found a message he sent to you,” Zale said, changing the subject. “Did you get it?”
“Yeah, I got it,” Mark said in a sharp tone.
“Do you know of any gatherings to discuss the problem of missing vampires?” Zale asked, even though he knew the answer.
“Yeah, I know of some. We’re all angry and we need to do something. Our friends are disappearing and the demons are growing in numbers. It’s obvious what’s happening. They’re picking us out and destroying us,” he said in a harsh tone.
Zale took a deep breath to remain calm. The last thing he wanted to do was show any hostile or negative response to irritate the vamp more.
“I believe you are right, the demons are somehow getting to vampires,” Zale said. “Do you or any of your friends know how or who specifically?”
“Of course we don’t know. If we did, we’d notify the Divine Syndicate, not the UoJ.”
“The DS is looking for the master,” Zale said.
“They better be. The demons need to be stopped. We’re tired of hearing about our neighbor or co-worker vanishing. Demons come in and act like they’re the big dogs running the show.” Mark shook his head. “We’re not going to sit around and let them keep removing us from this Earth. We belong here. They don’t.”
His threatening tone bothered Zale. “I hope you’re not suggesting vampires are going to do anything.”
Mark lowered his arms. “Demons are taking away people we care about. What would you do if someone was killing members of your pack?”