“Nor did I expect us to. Any fraternization between us during such an event would almost certainly be frowned upon.”
He probably had a point, especially since he’d been one of our jurors. “So ... how’s the arm?”
“Quite fine. I am loathe to admit it, but I found my penance to be a terrible inconvenience. I was glad to see it end.”
Inconvenience wasn’t quite the word I’d use for having to chop off my own arm every time it started to regenerate, but different strokes and all that. “Me too.” I would have loved to have chatted for a while, but knowing James, that wasn’t in the cards. “I assume this isn’t a social call.”
“I am pleased to hear you say that. A part of me feared that you would be your usual flippant self, ignoring the issues in favor of idle banter. Alas, I am not certain whether to be gladdened or worried to find you answering this call.”
“Oh?”
“When the First hand out a sentence such as was given to you, it is expected to be carried out posthaste unless the convicted should wish to face even more dire consequences.”
“Call me crazy.” I hesitated for a moment, unsure how much I should say, but then pushed that aside. This was James. I owed him a lot. I could at the very least afford him a little bit of trust. “But, I got the impression that Yehoshua was more saving our asses than handing us over to die.”
“And indeed he was. Never doubt that. He is a man of utmost intellect and cunning. He no doubt saw the bigger picture at play – that you and your friends would best serve in your current capacity. Know, however, that his grief for Theodora is real. Should you survive the coming days, you may wish to warn the Icon to stay clear of him.”
“Yeah, about her ... listen, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lied. I...”
“You have already been tried and convicted of those crimes, Dr. Death. As far as I am concerned, justice has been served ... in a fashion at least. Suffice it to say I am not entirely innocent of the crime of keeping secrets myself.” I was curious if he would spill anything juicy, but he just went on. “In some ways, I was glad to see it. It shows you have been paying some attention to our ways.”
“When in Rome.”
“Quite true. Nevertheless, Yehoshua may very well have spared your life for the moment, but have no doubt that Alexander will make it a point to see your sentence enforced.”
“Let me guess; that means sooner rather than later.”
“No. That means now.”
* * *
“Wait, what?”
“That is partially what I was calling to tell you. Your grace period has ended. Alexander is vexed at the embarrassment you caused him. I do not pretend to know his mind, but I would wager that any liberties he has afforded you in the past have been stretched to their limit and beyond. If you are not already a student of history, you would do well to read up. You would learn that Alexander of Macedon was not one to suffer slights lightly.”
Oh crap. “So when?”
“Did you not listen to what I just said? You and your friends need to finish whatever preparations you are making. If you are still where you are by the morrow’s sunset, I dare say you will end up entertaining guests who will not easily be sated by dinner and drinks.”
Well, he had part of that right anyway. At least two of my friends had the potential to become the main course if things got ugly. Still, it’s not like I could pack up and leave with a moment’s notice. Some of us were still unaccounted for. “Listen, I need more time...”
“That is not mine to give.”
“But Sally and Sheila...”
“Must accompany you. It has been decreed.” There came a pause from the other end of the line. When James again spoke, his voice was clearly pained. “I know what has befallen Sally.”
“Alex told you what he did?”
“No, he did not. Though I am of the First, I am certain I do not hold his favor any longer. Were it not for us already having lost Theodora, I might worry about my own seat being prematurely vacated.”
“He wouldn’t.”
“Hear me and hear me well, my friend. If you have any wisdom at all in your head, you will never assume there is anything that Alexander would not do. Such was the folly of many vanquished by him, both before and after he took his place among our kind.”
“Gotcha. So I guess he’s busy trying to fill that vacancy.”
“Have you not heard? No, I suppose you wouldn’t have.”
“Heard what?”
There was a slight hesitation on the other end. “Never mind. It is of no matter at this moment. There are, as the humans say, bigger fish to fry.”
Fuck, if that wasn’t an understatement. I had enough to feed a small army. “So you were saying about Sally?”
“Yes. I am not the most learned man to ever walk this Earth, yet it was painfully obvious she was under compulsion. If I were to guess, I would say it happened sometime between the debacle when the Icon was first brought in and when next we were seated.”
“Right on the money. The fucker did it to her with me in the room, even.”
“Have a care, Dr. Death. Alexander and I are still of the First. Though we may not see eye to eye, I believe in the institutions of our people and will not hear them casually sullied by a child.”
Gah! Sometimes, James was maddening in his adherence to the rules. Even so, I had enough enemies. I couldn’t afford to make any new ones. “Sorry.”
“I will consider your remark stricken from the official record. However, for the sake of both conversation and curiosity, if you wish to share precisely what the compulsion entailed, I shall entertain your words.”
Okay, so maybe not as by-the-book as I thought. Oh, who was I kidding? James was a complex guy. I had about as much chance of figuring him out over the phone as I did of solving a Rubik’s Cube with my eyes shut.
I relayed to him what happened in the jail cell that Sally, Tom, and I had shared – how Alex had informed us that he considered the two of us to be a formidable team right before commanding her to forget any history she had with me and my friends.
James was silent for a few moments. “I suspected as much. Her behavior toward me when next we met was curious – a throwback to an earlier time, if you will, as if the years in between had melted away.”
At first, I wasn’t sure what he meant, then remembered back to the not-so-innocent-looking peck on the cheek she’d given him. Normally, that wasn’t something one picked up on, but a fellow like me – who’d been relegated to the friend zone far too many times in his life – had a bit of insight into the difference between a “you’re my best bud” kiss and an “I want to fuck your brains out” one.
Don’t get me wrong, Sally and James were a more pleasant picture than the thought of her banging Mark the rock monster. Even so... “Yeah, about that,” I replied, unable to help myself. “So what did you mean by...”
“This is most troubling,” he said, completely ignoring me. Big surprise there. Christ, it’s not like I was going to ask for many details. “Alexander was not incorrect about you two. Sadly for us, he was more right than he had any reason to believe.”
“Uh, okay.”
“I am sorry to be cryptic, Dr. Death. However, I think we both know Sally plays it close to the vest when it comes to what she reveals about herself and her past.”
“Trust issues,” I muttered.
“Well earned.”
“I have no doubt.”
“You don’t know the half of it, I’m afraid. And I am not at liberty to divulge,” he added as if sensing my next question. “It will have to suffice for you to know you have had as much impact upon her as she upon you.”
Numerous different scenarios ran through my head. A good deal of them ended with her pushing me down onto a bed in a sleazy motel room while saying how much she wanted me.
“You have helped her find her humanity,” he continued, squashing that fantasy.
“Oh.”
“I would hope you are understating your position because believe me when I say that is most certainly the case.”
“No,” I replied. “It’s not that. I mean, I know she’s changed. She ... well ... cares now. You should have seen her in Vegas. A couple more months, and the homeless there would have been ready to canonize her. I also know she hasn’t forgotten that part. She’s still her.”
“For now.”
“What do you mean?”
“She hasn’t forgotten herself, but she has forgotten the reason she was able to find herself again. How soon, I wonder, before that fades and she begins to lose all she has gained.”
“Oh come on; she wasn’t that evil when I met her.”
“No. Sally has never been evil. She is, however, complicated. She is also highly capable, as I am sure you’re aware.”
I shifted uncomfortably where I stood. Movement caught my eye, and I saw Ed rise from his seat. He glanced my way and mouthed a question. I nodded and gave him the thumbs up, not really certain what else to say.
He shrugged and headed toward his bedroom.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” I called after him, remembering James’s words from earlier.
“Excuse me?”
“Not you,” I said into the receiver. “Sorry, James, but I’m not sure I see the point in what you’re saying. Sally’s had her memories of me wiped. But we’re working on it.”
“Of that, I have no doubt. That is why I recommended she stay with you in the first place.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“The issue at hand is that the trust and friendship you two had took the better part of a year and several close calls with death to cement. That is gone now and in its place ... I do not know.”
“Go on.”
“Though it pains me greatly to say this, we do not know her motivations right at the moment. She may wish to get her memories back, or it may be a ruse – a cover for something else.”
“So what you’re saying is...”
“What I am saying is that you would be wise to not trust her.”
Vamanos, Muchachos
I let James’s words sink in. On the one hand, I didn’t want to believe him. Hell, Sally and I had been through so much in so little time. During all of it, she’d stood by my side.
At the same time, this was James who was talking. If it had been anyone else, my roommates even, I’d have blown it off in a second. But what he said made sense. Though she was still Sally inside, she was essentially surrounded by strangers. Well-meaning strangers, sure, but could she really know that?
There was also Alex to consider. What else had he filled her head with during their time together after leaving me and Tom to rot in our cell? He could have told her anything – made her believe it too. Even Christy had to admit that her work in Sally’s mind was akin to taking apart the Great Wall of China one brick at a time.
She belongs to him now. She’ll turn on you when you least expect it.
Fuck me! Not now. I mentally screamed for the voice to shut the fuck up ... once more wondering if I was just talking to myself or not. Even so, the words of my inner Dr. Phil couldn’t be dismissed so easily. Sally wasn’t back yet. She hadn’t given us any indication of where she’d been going or what she was doing.
Oh, enough of this! Sheila had done the same thing. Was I now gonna wonder if Alex had put the whammy on her too?
Okay, maybe that was a stretch. Even so, it’s not like I was innocent in this matter either. I’d gone off half-cocked without telling anyone just the day before. The bottom line was we were all adults and didn’t need to ask Mommy or Daddy’s permission to go out and do something potentially stupid.
Finally, all of that having run through my mind in the space of only a second or two, I said, “I’ll keep an eye on her.” It was more than I wanted to commit to, but I had never known James to hand out warnings frivolously.
“That is all I can hope for.”
“Have any good news to share before you leave me to my doom?”
He actually chuckled at that. It was nice to hear his penance at the hands of his fellow Draculas hadn’t totally crushed his spirit. “Not much, but perhaps a little.”
“Lay it on me.”
“The majority of the covens between you and Boston have been assimilated into Vehron’s fold, in one way or the other.”
“Great.”
“But pockets of resistance loyal to the First remain. I have instructed them to assist you in any way they can.”
“Excuse my skepticism, but I got the feeling that I’m not too high on a lot of vampires’ friend lists right about now.”
“This is not a matter of how they feel, whether they believe in you, or even if they like you. They will aid you, or they will answer to me.”
I considered that. James was a pretty scary guy when he wanted to be. He wasn’t the meanest motor scooter in the parking lot, but he was high on the list. Probably just as important, he was both known and respected in the northeast. Unlike the rest of the First, he was real to the covens in this area – having served as prefect for however long he did.
I uttered my thanks, and he rattled off a short list of the covens that could be counted on. It was with some annoyance that I noted the 6-6 Miskatonic Coven of Cambridge among them. Hell, I didn’t even know what the fuck that meant, aside from maybe a reference to HP Lovecraft. Fucking MIT – even their vampires were elitist cocksuckers.
He made me repeat back the names twice – probably because I let loose with an editorial on what those doctoral candidate vamps could go do with their diplomas – and then finally said, “Good enough.”
“Do you really think it will be?”
James paused for a moment. “I know you fear Vehron, rightfully so.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“But you must believe in yourself. I for one do not buy into the so-called hype, Dr. Death. I still have faith that you are the one of legend. If so, you will find a way to overcome him.”
I was tempted to point out that my chances of overcoming him in even a thumb-wrestling match were nil, but I decided to be a bit more diplomatic. “I’m not sure how. He’s older than me, stronger than me, has waged a fuck-ton more wars than me, and he can do everything I can do ... probably better too.”
Damn, there was a thought I hadn’t considered. Dr. Death was a beast, one that had proven strong enough to kick the shit out of a monstrous Sasquatch named Turd. How the fuck more powerful was Vehron’s inner demon?
“In that, you are wrong,” he said. “You may not be aware of this, but...”
“But?”
I heard muffled voices at the other end of the line. It sounded as if a conversation was taking place while someone kept their hand over the receiver. Probably some minion asking James what he wanted for dinner. Finally, a sigh sounded from the other end of the line. “I’m afraid I have tarried longer than I hoped. You need to get your friends together and get moving.”
“Wait, what did you mean by...?”
“You have all the information you need. Colin told me about the dossier he left you. I trust you have studied it well. Any answers you need lie within.”
“Listen...”
“No. You must get moving now. I have little doubt it will take some time to rouse your companions and prepare whatever supplies you need.”
“How do you know I’m not already packed?”
“Are you?”
Goddamn it! I so hated when people had me figured out. “Fine, but I don’t see what the big deal is. By tomorrow, Sally and...”
“There is no tomorrow,” he said. “I have just been informed that if you or your friends are still residing where you are when the sun comes up, the building will be burnt to the ground around you.”
* * *
As far as motivations went, that was a pretty good one. Sadly, I couldn’t act surp
rised either. I knew our time was short when they’d let us walk ... or zap ... out of the nuclear bunker that had served as our makeshift prison.
Even so ... shit!
I said my goodbyes to James, thanked him for his help, and expressed the hope that I lived long enough to see him again. Unlike his, my own personal faith wasn’t quite as deep.
No, that was the wrong attitude. I had promised myself that I wouldn’t do the whining bitch of a hero routine, denying my fate until the very end. Of course, that was easy to do when the scariest thing I faced were the dorks currently living downstairs. It was quite another knowing what lie ahead.
Oh fuck it... “GODDAMNED MOTHERFUCKING COCKSUCKING DOUCHE-FILLED TWATS!!”
It felt good to let out all my frustrations in one giant psychic outburst.
Almost as if on cue, Tom burst from his respective bedroom. He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Despite the fun of earlier, he’d apparently managed to get some shuteye. Oh, how I envied him his ability to be so cluelessly unconcerned.
“The fuck, man?”
I turned my eyes toward Ed’s room, expecting a similar entrance, but then remembered that whatever had been done to him had somehow rendered him compulsion-blind. Oh well, sometimes you had to do things the old-fashioned way.
“Do me a favor,” I said, casually turning back toward Tom. “Grab me a big glass of water and a few ice cubes.”
* * *
Once Ed finished threatening to blast me full of silver-laden holes, I imparted upon my roommates the highlights of my conversation with James – emphasizing the part about us living through the song lyrics about not needing any water, because this motherfucker was gonna burn.
Thankfully, they’d gotten with the program long ago. Once they got the hint and headed back into their rooms to collect whatever meager belongings were necessary for this road trip – I couldn’t quite bring myself to call it an assault yet – I left to head down and inform the others.
No doubt, Dave and the Defilers – a band name if ever there was one – were busy wondering what the hell was going on following my compulsion. They could wait a few more minutes, though. Christy was the far more important stop. It would also give me a chance to check whether our two wayward travelers had returned yet, although I already knew the answer to that, as nothing – no sound of footsteps returning, or the delicious odor of their respective perfumes – had set off my enhanced senses. Oh well, one could hope.
The Wicked Dead (The Tome of Bill Book 7) Page 10