by Ally Shields
“Interesting.” Andreas was at his most arrogant. “Why would we invent such a tale?”
“To throw us off the track. To cover what’s really going on.”
“Which is what?” Andreas’s brows lowered. “What do you believe is going on?”
Ryan gritted his teeth. “You and Molyneux are hiding something.”
“So,” the vampire leaned forward, “you think I’m conspiring with the Canadians. What gave you that ridiculous notion?”
“Is it so ridiculous? I know and trust everyone who participated in that bungled raid. Except you and your friends. Somebody warned Molyneux’s pack that we were on the way.”
“I agree. They were most certainly warned. But not by me.” Andreas focused on Ryan’s face. “Nor am I working with or for the wolves. And Gordon’s story is his own. Tell me, Lieutenant, if your wild accusations had any truth to them, why would I help Arianna to confirm Rita’s story? And why wait until the last minute to warn the Canadians? After all, I had all night. They could have safely dispersed, taking or disposing of Marcus and Gordon, and you would know nothing. If you want to ignore those discrepancies, prove I did this. And tell me what I would gain.” Andreas’s voice was controlled, but the muscles across his shoulders were strung tight.
“If I had the answers, you’d be safely behind bars.”
“And that is exactly what you want, is it not?” Andreas emphasized the last three words in a voice grown soft and cold.
“I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.”
Ari tensed. If they kept on like this, the joint investigation would be down the tubes and somebody might get hurt.
Andreas placed his forearms on the table and leaned toward the cop. “Is this about me, Lieutenant? Or a bias against vampires? You closed the case from the bar without solving it. It makes no sense that two previously inoffensive vampires turned murderous. But perhaps the truth doesn’t matter when it comes to vampires.”
“Wrong on both counts,” Ryan fired back, leaping to his feet. “I don’t trust you.”
Chapter Twenty
Deadly silence. The two men stared at one another, and Ari held her breath. Trust was the heart of the matter.
“At least that is honest. Personal animosity, I can handle.” Andreas spoke in a normal voice and leaned back, lowering the tension.
Ryan ran a hand through his hair and sat down. “I don’t have to explain anything to you. But just to set the record straight, I was opposed to closing the Second Chance case. I was overruled by my superiors.” He took a deep breath before he went on. “I’m just trying to do my job, Andreas. Right now, I want to know who helped the wolves get away. I admit some of what you say makes sense. But if it wasn’t you, then who? We have a leak somewhere.”
“Indeed. That would appear to be the case. I am making inquiries on my end of this. Rechecking every staff member that could have known. I trust you are doing the same.”
Ryan’s face flushed, then he acknowledged the logic. He gave a reluctant nod. “I will, but I know my men. It wasn’t my side.”
Sides? Uh-uh, Ari had had enough. “Is this about over? There are other possibilities neither of you mentioned. Steffan doesn’t think his wolves were seen, but maybe they were. Or it was police scanners. An intercepted cell phone call. We don’t know what kind of sophisticated surveillance equipment they might have. Or maybe someone was watching the PD and followed us. I know someone’s been tailing me. Until we—”
“Someone’s been tailing you? Why haven’t you said anything?” Ryan interrupted. Both men stared at her.
“I haven’t seen anyone. I smelled wolf, but it might be a coincidence.”
Ryan looked at Andreas. “Do you believe that?”
“Not for a moment. These wolves are aggressive.”
“Hey, I can handle the tail.” Ari wished she’d never brought it up. “Let’s get back to the point. If we keep the details of our investigation among the three of us, there shouldn’t be another leak. If there is, then we start pointing fingers. In the meantime, we declare a truce. How about it?”
No one spoke. When she looked at Andreas, he shrugged.
“Ryan?”
He scowled but said, “I’ll go along.”
“Good. So let’s talk about what happened to Gordon. He heard the name Pavlov. Isn’t that out of a science book? Experiments on dogs, not rats.”
“Conditional reflex,” Andreas said. “Pavlov was studying the reactions to stimuli.”
Well, that was kind of specific information. Ari wondered if it was book learning or firsthand knowledge. The vampire had been around a long time. Someday, when he was in a better mood, she intended to ask him things like that.
“Yeah, I remember. And you’re right, Ari. It wasn’t rats. When the dogs heard the food dish, they got excited,” Ryan added. “Or something like that.”
“Close enough,” Andreas said. “His work eventually resulted in attempts to control the responses, such as the aversion therapy used in some addiction treatment.”
“Are we talking mind control?” Ari asked.
“Aw, don’t do this to me,” Ryan protested. “First voodoo, now mind control?”
“Might not be so far off.” Andreas steepled his fingers. “Experimentation of some kind would fit the facts. Unless the Pavlov reference was just a crude form of ridicule.”
“It’s got to be significant. Who throws around the name of some guy from a high school biology class unless it’s important?” She turned to Andreas. “Has conditioning ever been turned into full mind control?”
“With humans? Limited. Brainwashing, like in certain cults. To my knowledge, never with vampires.” Andreas shook his head. “It is almost inconceivable.”
“Wish we knew what drugs they used,” Ryan said. “The CS techs didn’t find drugs at the house, but I could have them look again.”
“Not necessary.” Andreas drew an insulated packet out of his leather jacket pocket and handed it to Ryan. “The sample was extracted before we gave Gordon new blood. Whatever was in his system should be in here. I added…a special preservative and kept it cool. But the fluid still has a short shelf life.”
Ryan opened the packet wide enough, and Ari saw the small vial of blood inside. “I’ll run it by the night lab. Put a rush on it. We should have results by tomorrow.” His voice held a note of grudging approval.
“I believe it is the altered Fantasy or a similar drug,” Andreas continued. “Gordon was more expansive when he was not under pressure. He described images, impressions really, that sounded like hallucinations. I am concerned the wolves are trying to alter or at least have a temporary effect on the vampiric neurological system.”
“But why?” Ryan asked.
Andreas shrugged. “Any number of things, I suppose. Control could be one of them. Perhaps a biologist or Otherworld lab tech could hazard a better guess.”
“Good idea. I’ll talk with the OFR lab. But whatever they’re doing, it hasn’t gone well,” Ari said. “Unless death or violence was the goal. Their hostages were a mess. Gordon’s recovering, but what about Marcus? He was nearly mummified.”
“Yes, decaying,” Andreas said. “It is the same process as any dying vampire, except in painfully slow motion. Without sufficient blood, the vampire body loses its fluids, shrivels, mummifies, and without intervention, turns to dust.”
“My God,” Ryan said. “How could anyone sit by and watch that happening?”
Ari didn’t have an answer. Considering parts of history, like the Nazi death camps, this wasn’t the first time a similar question had been asked. It was still unanswerable.
Ryan ran a hand through his hair again. “Here’s the deal, Andreas. Ari thinks we need you on this investigation. I’m going to trust her judgment. Don’t have to tell you I have my doubts, but no one should be treated the way your friends were treated. If we work together, maybe we can stop these guys.”
Andreas looked at him from hooded eyes. He nodded. “Agree
d.”
Ari watched the simple exchange. Some sort of understanding had passed between the two men, something she hoped she could build on. She stood and stretched cramped muscles. They’d been talking a long time.
“So what next?” she asked. “It’s hard to anticipate what they’ll do if we don’t know what they want. Can we put all the pieces together? What’s their end game?”
Ryan drummed his fingers on the table. “Drugs and money are a long-standing combination. But I can’t imagine how that ties in with kidnapping and mind control. Are they drug dealers or mad scientists?”
“Perhaps they are both,” Andreas suggested. “With one side supporting the other.”
“Explain.” Ryan looked interested.
“Let me see if I can.” Andreas cracked a smile. “I was thinking out loud. What if the original Fantasy is all about money? And they use that money to fund the experiments on the altered drug? With an ultimate goal of obtaining total control over a vampire.”
“And the violent incidents were bad side effects,” Ari said, drawing the logical conclusion.
Andreas stood and strode across the room. “That would make Olde Town’s vampires the guinea pigs. The lab rats.”
“Until my visit to Molyneux forced him into scaling down his experiments to two,” Ari said, not looking at Andreas. Damn, she didn’t want to carry around the guilt for what happened to Marcus and Gordon.
“Aren’t we getting carried away? This is all kind of far-out theory. And it still doesn’t tell us why someone picked Riverdale. Or why somebody would go to such efforts to control a vampire.” Ryan stopped in exasperation.
Andreas and Ari exchanged a look. If you could program a vampire to do your bidding, take control of his supernatural powers, the potential for misusing the magic was tremendous. And if you could program several…well, Ari didn’t even want to go there.
Ryan caught their silent exchange, thought about it. His next words were subdued. “Yeah, I guess the control stuff is obvious. Nothing good, that’s for sure.”
“The formula’s not perfected yet,” Ari reminded them. “We’ve still got time to stop this. I just don’t know how. Or where to start.”
She was relieved when her phone rang, delaying the inevitable admissions from her partners that they didn’t know either.
Ari smiled when she heard Brando’s voice. “I thought you were out of town. How was the trip?”
“It was good. Got home this evening, and Claris told me about your drug case. I might be able to help.”
“Really? What do you know about Fantasy?” Ari shrugged as Ryan and Andreas turned to look at her. Stunned, she listened while Brando presented a huge break in the case. Five minutes later, she relayed the information to her partners.
“Brando heard this wizard, Daniel Dubrey, speak at a conference. Um, I think he said three or four years ago. Anyway, Dubrey’s work was based on combining chemicals and magic. He was doing lab trials on medicines enhanced by spells and potions. Brando says it’s really specialized stuff. One of a kind. And here’s the kicker—he lives near Toronto, Canada.” She gave a double thumbs-up. “That can’t be a coincidence.”
Ryan broke into a grin. “So there’s our starting point. Whether he’s the manufacturer or not, he’s got to know something. You should go to Canada. Talk to this wizard, and while you’re there, see if Molyneux’s been around.”
“You think Molyneux is in Canada?” Andreas asked.
“We know he is. Sorry, forgot you hadn’t heard.” Ryan told him about the border crossing. “Don’t ask me how they missed our BOLO.” He turned back to Ari. “While you follow the drug trail, we’ll keep searching for the pack.”
“Nobody wants to come along?” she asked.
“My department won’t approve a trip without consulting the local PD in Toronto. And that takes time.” He glanced at Andreas. “Unless I’m mistaken, his travel is defined by the sun. You can slip in and out without anyone being the wiser. Besides, this wizard is more likely to talk with a witch than either of us.”
“You are the logical choice,” Andreas said. “It might be a good idea for you to be out of town for a day or two to confuse whoever has been tailing you. While there, don’t approach Molyneux on your own. He will be among friends. The same goes for Sebastian, the vampire prince. He is a brutal dictator and no friend of Prince Daron.”
Ari brought her chin up. She hated it when someone told her what to do. Or even worse, what she couldn’t do. “You keep forgetting I can take care of myself.”
“So you’ve said before. But it would be better to stay out of situations where you might have to prove it.”
When Ryan didn’t come to her defense, Ari realized her partners had found something else they agreed on. “Hey, no ganging up. I’m not going to do anything stupid. I’ll visit Dubrey, and if I have any time left, I’ll see what the locals say about Molyneux and Sheila. But I’m not going after the wolf or some evil prince. Satisfied? ’Cause that’s the best you’re going to get.”
With Ryan’s threats of dire consequences ringing in her ears if she wasn’t back the next evening, they parted near the steps of the Magic Hall. Wondering if her elusive tail was watching, Ari headed for the airport.
Chapter Twenty-One
Modern air travel made Canada just a short nap away. At 6:35 a.m., Zoe Vesper, one of six Guardians assigned to Toronto, stood outside baggage claim with a placard and a wide grin. Ari soon learned that was typical Zoe. The woman was tall and lanky with short, brown, bouncy curls and eight ear piercings. But most interesting to Ari, she was half witch. Her witch clan had bred with elves, accounting for her nearly six-foot height.
“I have the address you wanted.” Zoe beamed at her. “Programmed it into my GPS. He lives out in the boonies. Expressways will help, but it might take an hour.”
Morning traffic was heavy. Once they hit the outskirts, Zoe sped up. She kept up a constant stream of chatter, pointing out turnoffs to local sites, once relating a multiple homicide by a dwarf with an axe. Considering Ari had gotten little sleep, Zoe was rather perky, but at least she didn’t require frequent responses. Ari leaned back, letting the words flow past. When Zoe began to talk about Dubrey, Ari started paying attention again.
“He’s a hermit. Lives on an old estate that once belonged to wealthy French émigrés. From the description I got, it’s one shade this side of condemnation. Dubrey rarely leaves the property.” She honked at a driver in her way but kept on talking. “I’m not sure he’ll let us in.”
“I’ll get in somehow.” Ari yawned, covered her mouth, sat up straighter. “Sorry about that. Short night. I have to talk to him. He’s my only chance to learn about the drugs.”
“If he’s making Fantasy, like you mentioned on the phone, why haven’t we seen it in Toronto?”
“I don’t know. In some ways that’s even more suspicious. The original formula is everywhere else. Why not here?”
“It does seem strange. Rumor says there’s a secret lab. Might explain why he doesn’t want anyone snooping around.”
“Especially if he’s doing something illegal,” Ari said. “Wouldn’t be the first or last time a magic user crossed the line.”
“That’s true. Otherwise humans wouldn’t fear us so much.”
Zoe finally lapsed into silence. She seemed to have run out of morning chatter, and they drove for miles in silence. Ari had nearly dozed off when they left the main roadways, followed a deserted road for a couple of miles, and pulled into a narrow private lane.
Zoe peered through the windshield. “I think this is it. Just down here a ways.”
The dirt drive was lined with bushes gone wild. Branches scraped at the sides and top of Zoe’s VW. After two quick turns, they saw buildings through the trees and stopped, covering the rest of the way on foot. If they surprised Dubrey before he realized anyone was near, they might avoid a greeting that involved weapons—magical or otherwise.
Their approach to the house w
ent unchallenged. The old mansion stood forlorn from decades of ill-use and lack of repair. Withered weeds poked through the wooden porch floor; windows frames were empty; the front door sagged open.
Ari drew her jacket a little closer. Evil had visited here. Shrugging off that thought, she motioned to Zoe. They edged across the porch, testing each board, and entered the house. The musty smell wrinkled Ari’s nose, and she stifled a sneeze. Huge cobwebs hung in the corners. A layer of grime coated the shabby furniture. Dubrey hadn’t used this area for some time. No footprints in the dust. Near the back was the kitchen area with windows overlooking a weedy garden, servants’ quarters, a guesthouse, and a large storage shed.
Ari crossed to the garden door. Zoe followed her outside.
The servants’ quarters were also empty of life or activity. No furniture, no rugs. A trail of scuffed footprints across the dusty floor lead to a stack of clean, white packing boxes, dust free and recently packed. Zoe pried open a box corner. Test tubes. This must have been the lab.
As they approached the guesthouse, goose bumps raised along Ari’s arms, a prickle at the back of her neck. A heaviness hung over the building. The front door was a gaping hole of freshly splintered wood.
Zoe gave her a wide-eyed look and flattened against one side of the door. Ari took the other, edging forward and going in fast. The smells hit first. Ozone. Blood. Charred wood. Walls and ceilings displayed black gouges and deep burns. Magical fire. The lethal kind. It had been one hell of a fight, Ari thought.
They picked their way past the debris, the smashed lamps, and overturned furniture. Only two or three steps inside, Ari picked up another telltale odor—decomp. They found the wizard’s body in a back bedroom.
Daniel Dubrey’s body had been brutalized. His limbs were shattered, bone poked through the skin, slashes and bites covered much of the body. Buzzing flies coated the eye sockets and open wounds. Whatever Dubrey had been in life, his uniqueness was gone, marked only by a mass of stringy, black hair.