by Mary Abshire
Zale couldn’t argue with him. It didn’t matter what species one came from, the will to survive and protect one’s loved ones was inherent.
“The DS is busy trying to get to the root of the problem. While they are, vampires are disappearing. We want to help,” Zale said.
Mark chuckled and moved closer to Zale. “You track vampires and destroy them. Why would you want to help us?”
“The DS and UoJ want peace and to save lives. The DS can stop the master and exorcise the demons. If I can find the ones responsible for kidnapping vampires, I can bring them to the DS or contact their agents. You don’t want to kill humans. Once you do, you will have broken the AoA law and the UoJ will have to serve punishment. I don’t want to see more death and destruction at the hands of demons.”
Mark stared at him for the longest time. “I understand your way of thinking, but you’re not going to know which one of us breaks the law if nobody talks. The demons need to go.”
The combination of tension and heat in the home made Zale sweat. He wiped his forehead.
“We know about a meeting tonight,” Ray said as he approached.
“Oh yeah?” Mark bounced his gaze between the two werewolves. “Planning to go?”
“I am, but you’re not,” Zale said.
“Why’s that?” Mark asked.
“I want to save mankind and I’m not certain you do,” Zale said. “I don’t want others riled up to go on a witch hunt, or demon hunt in this case.”
“What if I promised I wouldn’t hurt anyone?” Mark asked.
“Let’s take him into holding,” Ray suggested.
“What?” Mark asked, enraged.
“No,” Zale said, grabbing Mark’s attention. “I don’t want to make matters worse than they are, but I don’t trust you either. My partner will stay here with you until after the meeting.”
Mark spun away, cursing and shaking his head. “This is bullshit!”
“We can take you to our holding facility, but I’d rather not,” Zale said. “The choice is yours. And if you hurt my partner…”
Mark stopped and put his hands on his hips. “Let me guess, you’ll come for me.”
Zale stepped up close to the short vampire. “Give me and the UoJ a chance to help. If I can find the demons, I can bring them to the DS for exorcism. No more humans need to die. No more vampires need to be destroyed. All you need to do is stay here with my partner and not cause any trouble. Is that fair?”
The vampire looked deep into Zale’s eyes. Several seconds of silence passed before the vamp said, “Fine.”
Following a nod, Zale headed toward Ray. “Watch him. I’ll swing by after the meeting to pick you up.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll call for a ride an hour after the meeting time.”
Zale put his hand on Ray’s shoulder. “Remember…”
“No worries. But I don’t think you should go to that meeting alone.”
“I’ll get Greg to go with me. Send me the address to the location.” He strode to the exit.
“I hope you’re right about this,” Ray said as he pulled out his phone.
He glanced at his partner. “I’m confident I am.” He walked out, closing the door behind him.
Zale headed to his car with a sense of accomplishment. He’d managed to remain calm and placate a vampire. His efforts were a step in the right direction. Now, he had to convince other vampires to resist their desire to kill for revenge.
Chapter Twelve
Greg pushed the passenger seat back to stretch his long legs. He was taller than Ray and maybe an inch or two over Zale. The werewolf had been born forty years before Zale and had helped train him when Zale had joined the UoJ. His wavy dark-brown locks and beard gained the attention of many ladies. Dressed in jeans and a dark blue tank top with a button-down shirt gaping open, he had a relaxed, casual style.
“Thanks for inviting me to go with you,” Greg said. His voice held a deeper tone than most werewolves.
Zale drove away from the pyramids. “Thank you for dropping everything to go with me. I had to put Ray on guard duty for a few hours.”
“I’m glad to help. You said this is some kind of meeting with vampires?”
“Yes. We’re to act calm and civil. The vampires are upset about their fellow kind disappearing. We all agree the demon population is growing, so we believe demons are the ones responsible. Nothing has been proven, but it makes sense.”
“Why doesn’t the Divine Syndicate step in and exorcise the demons?”
“They are and they’re also working to find the master. Meanwhile, more demons show up and attack vamps here and there. Needless to say, the vampires are upset and want revenge. We can’t let them take to the streets and start killing possessed humans.”
“If they did, every agent at the UoJ would have their hands full. We’d probably have to get more agents from other offices to help.”
“We don’t want to destroy the vampires. We need to calm their nerves and reassure them we’re working to help them. Once we identify and find the persons responsible, we can take them to the DS to be exorcised.”
Zale left out details about the corpses he’d found recently. For one reason, the werewolf only needed the main facts to assist at the warehouse. For another matter, Gordon didn’t want everyone to know the gruesome specifics yet.
“Am I to understand we want to help the vampires?” Greg asked.
“Yes. We need to get information from them about ones who’ve gone missing. We need to locate the demons.”
Greg stared forward while Zale sped on the interstate.
“Are you okay with this?” Zale asked after enough silence.
“I’ll do what you tell me to do, but I don’t trust them one bit. Even the good guys will kill for the right cause.”
“Which is why we need to convince them not to do anything.”
“What do you want me to do exactly?”
“Watch, listen, and observe. Keep an eye on troublemakers.”
“Aren’t they all?”
Zale sighed heavily. The difficulties of his job continued to increase. Life would be easier if demons didn’t exist and vampires obeyed the law. But they didn’t live in a fantasyland.
“Stay alert,” Zale said.
From the interstate, Zale drove to a high school auditorium outside the Speedway area. Since he’d sped, they’d arrived several minutes before the meeting time, which was a good thing. Cars packed the parking lot.
“Wow,” Greg said.
Zale didn’t bother trying to find a spot near the building. He parked on the other side where plenty of spaces were available.
“Do we need to bring any weapons?” Greg asked.
“No, we don’t want to appear threatening.”
Although Zale didn’t trust vampires, he believed the group he and Greg were about to face wouldn’t hurt two UoJ agents. Vamps were upset and wanted to talk. Zale suspected the meeting would be similar to a pack one.
From the car, they headed toward the auditorium. Zale reached the curb and strode at a quick pace.
“Whatever you do, don’t start a fight. Follow my lead and observe,” Zale said. “Got it?”
“You’re in charge.”
So many scents flooded Zale as he entered the building. The wide hall contained lockers on both sides. Half of the lights glowed from the ceiling. His shoes squeaked softly on the linoleum floor. Beside him, Greg’s heartbeat sped. Zale had a touch of anxiety too, but he held faith he could reason with the vampires.
Chatter from multiple voices guided him down the hall. When he turned the corner, he paused. Men stood outside the wide-open doors to the gym. Two men stood inside near the center, facing the mass sitting on stadium seats. One of the men standing spoke. Zale approached slowly, peering closer at the man. Based on the picture of Tim Landers he’d seen from the database, he felt confident Tim was the one addressing the crowd.
Zale passed the guys standing near the open doors and stopped a few feet in the gym. Greg stood beside him. Not a single heartbeat could be heard from anyone. Zale estimated at least two hundred vampires were in attendance. Many of their gazes pointed at him. They tapped their peers and pointed to Zale. Within seconds, the speaker ended his words and all eyes were on Zale and Greg.
“My name is Zale Wallace and this is my partner, Greg,” Zale angled his thumb toward Greg. “We’re with the Union of Justice and we came to offer help.”
Many of those in the stands whispered.
“The UoJ hunts those who break the law. They’ve never helped us. Why does the UoJ offer help now?” Tim asked.
Zale took a few slow steps toward Tim. “We don’t want to see anyone starting problems. Although we don’t have evidence proving who is responsible for those who have gone missing, I think we can all agree it’s demons. If you help me locate the specific individuals, I can bring them to the Divine Syndicate. No one needs to die.” He stopped and faced the audience.
A male vampire from the front shot up. “I know two vampires who disappeared in the last month. They haven’t returned, so they had to have been destroyed. The demons need to pay.”
Others in the stands cheered and supported the vampire’s comment.
Zale raised his palm up. The voices silenced.
“I understand you’re upset,” Zale said. “But now is not the time to act on your emotions. We work better together. We need information to investigate and locate the identities of the possessed humans. Let the DS handle the rest. Don’t give up your immortality by seeking revenge.”
“Why does the UoJ care about us?” Tim asked.
Several in the crowd vocalized their support to his question.
“We want an end to the violence. I’m not saying an outbreak is coming, but the best way to prevent one is to locate the demons and have them exorcised. The DS is looking for the master. Let us help you in the community. The DS and UoJ want peace for everyone,” Zale said.
A woman from higher in the stands stood. “We don’t need your help. We can take care of the demons ourselves.”
Many in the crowd agreed with her.
“No,” Zale said in an elevated voice. “If you kill a human you are breaking the law.”
“They’re not human if they’re possessed,” someone in the group said and others agreed.
“You’re wrong. They are human and the demons can be exorcised. You know as well as I do once a demon is exorcised from the human it can not return,” Zale said in a harsher tone than he’d intended.
Another male vamp rose. “We’re stronger than they are. We can fight them ourselves. We don’t need the UoJ.”
More began to agree with him. The energy in the room began to rise. Hate and aggression were the general moods based on the tones of their voices. He couldn’t blame them for wanting to seek retribution, but the price of their actions would damn them.
Zale caught movement near the entrance where Greg stood stiff with his hands fisted, glaring at the vampires eyeing him. They inched toward him as if they were going to attack. A deep rumble emerged from Greg’s throat.
“Greg, no. Stand down,” Zale yelled.
Several vampires moved closer to the werewolf.
“Don’t!” Zale yelled before he shot his attention to Tim. “If we don’t walk out of here, the UoJ will come after everyone here. Save your fight for the demons if an outbreak occurs.”
Upon seeing Tim’s gaze shift past him, Zale spun to face Greg. The vampires were within two feet and surrounded him.
“Get back!” Tim yelled.
A vampire behind Greg pushed him. Greg twisted and swung his fist at the nearest vampire. In seconds, several vamps were throwing punches at him.
“No!” Tim yelled as he strode past Zale. “Stop now! Get back. I said get back!”
Zale fought every desire to defend his comrade as he followed Tim. The vampires had wanted a fight and they didn’t seem to care against who. Greg had resisted up to the point he’d been nudged. The vampires had got what they’d wanted.
“I said back away from him now!” Tim said in a demanding tone.
Many vampires were descending the stands. Several had started dragging the aggressive ones away. Tim stopped outside the fight circle. Greg lay on the ground, kicking and trying to get vampires off of him. The scent of his blood carried in the air.
Paused near Tim, anger burned like acid in Zale’s throat. He wanted to help the vampires. They needed to learn to work together and to trust each other. Didn’t they know their future could be at risk?
Zale wedged his way through the crowd to reach Greg. Vampires had moved away from Greg. Red fluid covered the werewolf’s hands and the lower half of his face. He spat on the floor. Zale took hold of his elbow and helped him stand while everyone watched.
“I’ll meet you at the car,” Zale said. “Go.”
As he limped away, Zale turned to the angry mob. How on earth was he going to get them to avoid using violence as a means to an end?
Tim slipped through the bodies to stand a few feet in front of Zale.
Zale inhaled a deep breath. “Nobody here has committed any crimes. Everyone wants to live in peace. Am I right?”
He looked around at their faces. Many lowered their gazes. The ones remaining in the stands were on their feet and watching.
“I saw many humans and non-humans die in the last outbreak. Does anyone here remember the madness and death? Raise your hand,” Zale said.
Many vamps showed their answers by raising their hands.
“The demons took too many loved ones from us. If demons are planning another outbreak, we need to stop them. The best way to do that is for all of us to work together. You have information to help me find the identities of the people responsible for taking your friends. I’m asking for you to share what you know and refrain from killing anyone. If you start killing, the UoJ won’t be able to focus on finding demons and preventing an outbreak. The future is in everyone’s hands, so I am asking you to please… Work with us and give us some time to investigate.”
Tim surveyed his peers. Many of them nodded while others whispered. After scanning the crowd, he faced Zale.
“There isn’t a vampire here who wants to see more bloodshed or another outbreak,” Tim said. “We’ll work with you. Be aware, the other sides of town are experiencing the same problem. I can’t speak for them, but I can communicate the situation and ask for their cooperation.”
Relief surged through Zale and brought a slight grin to his face. “Thank you. Call the local office and ask for me. We need to talk soon.”
“You’ll hear from me before sunrise.”
Following a nod, Zale walked away from a couple hundred bloodthirsty vampires. Did he trust them? No, and the odds were good they didn’t have faith in the UoJ either. But at least he’d convinced them to work with him to locate the demons. Now, he hoped they would stay true to their word.
Chapter Thirteen
Zale sank onto the sofa in his office. The leather moaned under his weight. He rested his head on the back of the lounger and closed his eyes. The meeting had ended satisfactorily, but there had been a few moments when he’d almost lost the miniscule bit of hope he had for a peaceful future.
The sound of steps drawing near brought his eyes open and head up. He turned as Gordon stopped in his open doorway.
“What happened?” Gordon strode into the room. He spun one of the chairs in front of the desk before he sat facing Zale.
“I just returned from the meeting,” Zale said.
“How did it go?”
“First, did you get the pictures of the heads and the body I sent earlier?”
“Yes, and the coroner sent a list of names from the DNA results less than an hour ago. They were all vampires. Henry informed me the female corpse at the warehouse belonged to Bethany. Now that we have her name and three othe
rs, I have a team researching their backgrounds. If there is a connection, we hope to find it.”
“We need to talk to their friends and people at the club. The bouncer knew Robert and Bethany. Maybe he knew the others. Also, Robert Galloway’s coworker Mark mentioned Robert had told him Bethany was going to the club with some of her friends. We need to know if she showed up or not to narrow down the time of her disappearance.”
“I’m going to put more agents on this. We need to gather information and analyze it faster. We also need more people on the streets asking questions. Now, tell me about the meeting.” Gordon crossed his arms.
Zale rubbed a hand over his mouth. “There were a couple hundred vampires there. They were upset, as expected. I gave them my spiel and they questioned why the UoJ wants to help them.”
“I hope you weren’t surprised.”
“Of course not. I talked a bit more about the importance of sharing information and not killing anyone. They seem to think they can investigate on their own and take out the demons. I had to remind them the demons need to be exorcised, not killed. It bothers me they were even considering going after demons.”
“They’re angry and concerned right now. They don’t see the DS offering much help. And now the UoJ steps in. It confuses them.”
“It wasn’t easy getting them to agree to work with us, but I did it. Tim Landers was the main speaker at the meeting. He was a friend and coworker of Robert Galloway. Tim said he’d speak with the leaders from the other sides of town and then contact me before sunrise.”
Gordon lowered his arms. “You did well, Zale. I know you’ve had doubts, but you’re making progress in the right direction.”
Zale ran a hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head. While he had managed to acquire an agreement from the vamps, he still had a great deal of work to do to locate the demons responsible. With the extra men Gordon planned to assign to the investigation, maybe they would see results faster.
“I’m not going to lie, I still don’t trust the vampires. There were a few moments when things got a little tense in the meeting. A group of them egged Greg into a fight. I told him to remain calm, but he was on edge. The fight didn’t last long, but it could’ve been avoided if Greg had followed my instructions. He changed before we came back, so his bones and bruises have healed,” Zale said.